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Biochemistry
The Four Macromolecules
12 terms · by ineedtostudy · updated 4 hours ago
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Terms in this set
Carbohydrate
Made of monosaccharides; general formula close to (CH2O)n. Energy and structure — glucose, glycogen, cellulose.
Lipid
Non-polar and hydrophobic. Energy storage, membranes and signalling. Not a true polymer.
Protein
Polymer of amino acids joined by peptide bonds. Catalysis, structure, transport, signalling.
Nucleic acid
Polymer of nucleotides. DNA stores information; RNA carries and translates it.
Monomer
The repeating unit: monosaccharide, amino acid, nucleotide.
Dehydration synthesis
Joins two monomers and releases a molecule of water.
Hydrolysis
Splits a polymer by adding water — the reverse of dehydration synthesis.
Peptide bond
The covalent bond between the carboxyl group of one amino acid and the amino group of the next.
Primary structure
The linear sequence of amino acids in a protein.
Secondary structure
Local folding into alpha helices and beta sheets, held by hydrogen bonds along the backbone.
Tertiary structure
The overall three-dimensional fold of one polypeptide, driven largely by hydrophobic interactions.
Quaternary structure
The arrangement of two or more folded subunits, as in haemoglobin's four chains.