Macromolecules WebQuest

Cells make a huge number of large molecules from a small set of small molecules

Link 1: Polymers and Monomers

The four classes of biological molecules contain very large molecules

  • They are often called ______ because of their large size
  • They are also called ______because they are made from identical building blocks strung together
  • The building blocks are called ______.
  • The general term for the linking of monomers to form polymers is called ______.

Relate the length of a polymer to its physical state

Link 2: Polymerization

  • Monomers are linked together to form ______through______, which ______water
  • Polymers are broken apart by ______, the ______of water
  • All biological reactions of this sort are mediated by ______, which speed up chemical reactions in cells

Draw diagrams of dehydration synthesis and hydrolysis.

Carbohydrates

Link 3: Carbohydrates 1

Link 4: Carbohydrates 2

Link 5: Carbohydrates 3

Link 6: Carbohydrates 4

Carbohydrates are important as ______(simple sugars such as glucose and fructose), as ______molecules (starches and glycogen), as ______molecules (e.g. cellulose, which is found in all plant cell walls) and as important components of ______.

Carbohydrates range from small sugar molecules (monomers) to large polysaccharides

  • Sugar monomers are______, such as ______and ______.
  • These can be hooked together to form the ______.

______are the simplest carbohydrates

  • Draw Glucose

Where can it be found?

  • Draw Fructose
  • Where can it be found?
  • How are they related?
  • When you drink a soda, you are probably consuming a sweetener called______.
  • Because ______is sweeter than ______, ______atoms produced from starch are rearranged to make the isomer, ______.
  • This is used to sweeten sodas
  • So, if you overconsume sweeteners as well as fat and do not exercise, you may experience ______.

Two reasons monosaccharides are important to life

  • Monosaccharides are the main ______for cellular work
  • Monosaccharides are also used as ______to manufacture ______molecules

Two monosaccharides (monomers) can bond to form a ______ in a ______reaction

  • An example is a ______monomer bonding to a ______monomer to form ______, a common disaccharide.
  • Draw a diagram that shows this

______ are polymers of monosaccharides

  • They can function in the cell as a ______molecule or as a ______compound
  • ______ is a storage polysaccharide composed of ______ monomers and found in ______.
  • ______ is a storage polysaccharide composed of ______, which is ______by animals when glucose is needed
  • ______is a polymer of glucose that forms plant ______
  • ______is a polysaccharide used by ______to build an ______

Lipids

Link 7: Lipids 1

Link 8: Lipids 2

Link 9: Lipids 3

Lipids are water ______(______, or water fearing) compounds that are important in

  • ______storage
  • ______
  • ______
  • ______

–They contain ______as much energy as a polysaccharide

A fat is a lipid thatcontains ______glycerol linked to ______fatty acids by

  • Fatsare often called ______because of their structure
  • Fats are lipids that are mostly ______molecules
  • Draw a fat and label the parts
  • Some fatty acids contain ______bonds
  • This causes ______in the carbon chain.
  • These compounds are called ______because they have fewer than the maximum number of ______.
  • Fats with the maximum number of ______are called ______.
  • Draw and label the two different types of fats

______are structurally similar to fats and are an important component of all cells

For example, they are a major part of cell ______, in which they cluster into a ______of phospholipids

  • The ______heads are in contact with the water of the environment and the internal part of the cell
  • The ______tails band in the center of the bilayer
  • Draw and label the bilayer

______are lipids composed of fused ring structures

______is an example of a steroid

  • It plays a significant role in the structure of the ______
  • It is the compound from which we synthesize ______
  • ______are synthetic variants of ______that can cause a buildup of ______

–They can be sold as prescription drugs and used to treat certain diseases

–They may also be abused with serious consequences, such as

  • ______
  • ______
  • ______
  • ______
  • ______

Proteins

Link 10: Proteins 1

Link 11: Proteins 2

Link 12: Proteins 3

Link 13: Proteins 4

Proteins are essential to the structures and functions of life

A protein is a polymer built from various combinations of 20 ______monomers

  • Amino acids the building blocks of proteins, have an ______group and a ______group

–Both of these are ______bonded to a central ______atom

–Also bonded to the central carbon is a ______atom and some other chemical group symbolized by ______

–Draw the general structure and label each part

  • Amino acids are classified as ______or ______

–Some amino acids have a ______group and are ______

–Others have a ______group and are ______, which means they easily ______in aqueous solutions

–Draw one of each type and name them.

  • ______monomers are ______to form ______

–This is accomplished by an ______-mediated ______reaction

–This links the ______group of one amino acid to the ______group of the next amino acid

  • The covalent linkage resulting is called a ______bond
  • Draw the bonding process

A protein’s specific ______determines its ______

A ______chain contains hundreds or thousands of ______linked by ______bonds

–The amino acid ______causes the ______to assume a particular ______

If for some reason a protein’s shape is altered, it can no longer function

–______will cause ______chains to unravel and lose their ______and, thus, their ______

–Proteins can be ______by changes in ______concentration, ______and ______.

  • The ______structure of a protein is its unique amino acid sequence

–The correct amino acid sequence is determined by the cell’s ______information

–The slightest ______in this sequence affects the protein’s ability to ______

–Draw this structure

  • Protein ______structure results from ______or ______of the ______

–______results in an ______

–______may lead to a structure called a ______

  • ______and ______result from ______bonding between certain areas of the polypeptide chain

–Draw this structure

  • The overall ______shape of a protein is called its ______structure

–______structure generally results from ______between the ______groups of the various amino acids

–______bridges are ______bonds that further strengthen the protein’s shape

–Draw this structure

  • Two or more polypeptide chains (______) associate providing ______structure

–______is an example of a protein with ______structure

–Draw this structure

There are ______classes of proteins

  • Name each class and give a description of their function
  • ______
  • ______
  • ______
  • ______
  • ______
  • ______

Nucleic Acids

Link 14: NA 1

Link 15:NA 2

Link 16:NA 3

______are information-rich polymers of ______

  • DNA ______bases are
  • ______(A),
  • ______(T),
  • ______(C),
  • ______(G)
  • ______also has A, C, and G, but instead of T, it has ______(U)
  • Draw a simplified monomer and label the parts

Two ______strands wrap around each other to form a DNA ______

–The two strands are associated because particular bases always ______bond to one another

–____ pairs with ____, and _____ pairs with _____, producing ______pairs

  • RNA is usually a ______strand

A particular ______sequence that can instruct the formation of a ______is called a ______

–Most DNA molecules consist of ______of ______pairs and, consequently, many ______

–These ______, many of which are unique to the species, determine the structure of ______and, thus, life’s structures and functions

Complete the following quiz:

Explore

(several games to try)