Biology
Unit: BioMolecules
Chapter 5
Study Guide
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Terminology.
Be able to define each of the following terms and to give examples of each where appropriate.
biomolecule
carbon skeleton/backbone
straight chain
branched chain
ring
organic molecule
inorganic molecule
hydrocarbon
functional group
hydroxyl group
carbonyl group
carboxyl group
amino group
hydrophilic
hydrophobic
monomer
polymer
dehydration synthesis (reaction)
hydrolysis (reaction)
------------------------------------------------carbohydrate
monosaccharide
glucose
molecular structure
simplified molecular structure
disaccharide
sucrose
polysaccharide
starch
glycogen
cellulose
lipid
fat/oil
glycerol
fatty acid
triglyceride
saturated fat
unsaturated fat
steroid
estrogen
testosterone
cholesterol
--------------------------------------------------protein
amino acid
side group (“R” group)
peptide bond
polypeptide
protein shape (form  function)
denaturation
--------------------------------------------------activation energy
catalyst
enzyme
substrate
active site
lock & key model of enzyme function
induced fit model of enzyme function
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Concepts/Skills.
Be able to do each of the following:
 Identify the four most common elements found in living things.
 Tell why carbon atoms are so common in living things.
 Name and draw the molecular structures of the following four functional groups:
hydroxyl group, carbonyl group, carboxyl group, amino group
 know that hydrophilic molecules tend to be polar and that hydrophobic molecules tend to be
non-polar.
page 2  Chapter 5 Concepts/Skills continued:
 Discuss in general terms how the fewer than 50 kinds of monomers contribute to a vast diversity
of life’s polymers.
 List and describe the basic characteristics of life’s four (4) main categories of biomolecules.
 Describe dehydration synthesis and how it is involved in synthesizing (building) polymers.
 Describe hydrolysis and how it is involved in breaking down polymers.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Describe the basic characteristics of carbohydrates and their main functions in living things.
 Describe the basic structure and characteristics of monosaccharides and their functions in living
things.
 Draw a simplified molecular structure for fructose and glucose.
 Describe the basic structure and characteristics of disaccharides and their functions in living
things.
 Draw a simplified molecular structure for sucrose.
 Describe the basic structure and characteristics of polysaccharides and their functions in living
things.
 Draw a simplified molecular structure for a polysaccharide.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Describe the basic characteristics of lipids and their main functions in living things.
 Describe the basic structure and characteristics of fats (and oils) and their function/impact
in living things.
 Draw the basic molecular structure of glycerol and fatty acids.
 Describe the basic structure and characteristics of steroids and their function/impact in living
things.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Describe the basic characteristics of proteins and their main functions in living things.
 State the number of different amino acids found in living things.
 Draw and describe the general structure of an amino acid and describe generally how each
amino acid is different from other amino acids.
 Draw the molecular structure of the amino acids glycine and alanine.
 Describe and draw how two amino acids will connect/bond together to form a peptide bond via
the process of dehydration synthesis.
 Describe how amino acids are related to polypeptides and how these two are related to proteins.
 State the minimum number of amino acids in most polypeptide chains.
 Tell why protein shape is important in living things.
 Describe how a protein acquires a specific shape.
 Give examples of how the shape of a protein is affected by its surrounding environment.
 Discuss the causes of denaturation and its effects on protein shape.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Describe the basic characteristics of enzymes and their main functions in living things.
 Describe how (many) enzymes are named.
 Give examples of enzymes in action/how they work. Use the proper terms from pp. 103-104 in
your descriptions. Be able to draw a model (labeled) like the one in figure 5-16 on p. 104 to
help describe how enzymes work.
 Describe the basic ideas of the lock & key and induced fit models of enzyme action.
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