Biological molecules official content key terms

Monomer

A small, simple molecule that can bind together to form larger molecules known as polymers.

Polymer

A large molecule composed of many repeated subunits (monomers) linked by covalent bonds.

Polymer

A large molecule composed of many repeated subunits (monomers) connected by covalent bonds.

Monomer

A small molecule that can join together with other monomers to form a polymer.

Monomer

A monomer is a small, basic molecular unit that can join together to form larger structures known as polymers.

Polymer

A polymer is a large molecule composed of repeating structural units (monomers) connected by covalent bonds.

Monomer

A small, basic molecular unit that can join together to form polymers.

Polymerization

The process of combining monomers to form a polymer through condensation reactions.

Monosaccharide

The simplest form of carbohydrate, consisting of a single sugar unit.

Glycosidic bond

A covalent bond formed between two monosaccharides through a condensation reaction.

Monosaccharide

The simplest form of carbohydrates, consisting of single sugar units like glucose and fructose.

Condensation reaction

A chemical reaction where two molecules combine to form a larger molecule, with the loss of a small molecule, often water.

Glycosidic bond

A covalent bond formed between two monosaccharides during a condensation reaction, resulting in the formation of a disaccharide or polysaccharide.

Polysaccharide

A carbohydrate polymer consisting of long chains of monosaccharide units linked by glycosidic bonds, serving various functions such as energy storage and structural support.

Reducing sugars

Sugars that can donate electrons to reduce other molecules, typically including monosaccharides and some disaccharides.

Polysaccharides

Carbohydrates composed of long chains of monosaccharide units, such as starch and glycogen.

Hydrolysis

The chemical breakdown of a compound due to reaction with water, often catalyzed by enzymes in biological systems.

Benedict's test

A qualitative test for reducing sugars that involves heating a sample with Benedict's reagent, resulting in a color change.

Absorbance

The measure of the amount of light absorbed by a solution, which correlates with the concentration of the solute.

Concentration

The amount of a substance (solute) present in a given volume of solution, typically expressed in moles per liter (M).

Triglyceride

A lipid made up of one glycerol molecule and three fatty acids, primarily used for energy storage.

Phospholipid

A lipid consisting of a glycerol molecule, two fatty acids, and a phosphate group, essential for forming cell membranes.

Condensation reaction

A chemical reaction in which two molecules combine to form a larger molecule, with the loss of a small molecule, often water.

Triglyceride

A type of lipid formed from one glycerol molecule and three fatty acid molecules, serving as a major form of energy storage in organisms.

Saturated fatty acid

A fatty acid with no double bonds between carbon atoms, leading to a straight-chain structure.

Unsaturated fatty acid

A fatty acid that contains one or more double bonds in its hydrocarbon chain, resulting in a kinked structure.

Hydrophobic

Describes molecules that do not interact well with water, typically non-polar substances.

Bilayer

A double layer of phospholipids that forms the basic structure of cell membranes.

Lipids

A diverse group of hydrophobic organic molecules, including fats, oils, and phospholipids, that are insoluble in water.

Emulsion

A mixture of two immiscible liquids, where one liquid contains a dispersion of the other, often used to describe the result of the emulsion test for lipids.