Learning Objectives for Chapter 5

The Structure and Function of Macromolecules

Understand and be able to use the following terms:

polymer	monomer	condensation reaction (dehydration synthesis)	hydrolysis
carbohydrate	monosaccharide	disaccharide	polysaccharide
isomer	glucose	fructose	galactose
lactose	starches	glycogen	cellulose
chitin	lipid	fat	fatty acids
glycerol	triacylglycerol	triglyceride	saturated
unsaturated	polyunsaturated	phospholipid	steroid
cholesterol	amino acid	peptide bond	peptide
polypeptide	protein	primary structure	secondary structure
α helix	β pleated sheet	tertiary structure	disulfide bridges
quaternary structure	denaturation	chaperonin	protein folding
x-ray crystallography	deoxyribonucleic acid	DNA	ribonucleic acid
RNA	gene	nucleic acid	nucleotide
nitrogenous base	ribose	deoxyribose	phosphate group
pyrimidine	purine	polynucleotide	double helix

Polymer Principles

1. Explain how monomers are used to build polymers.
2. List the four major classes of macromolecules.
3. Describe the types of reactions that are used to assemble and disassemble macromolecules.
4. Explain how organic polymers contribute to biological diversity.

Carbohydrates

5. Describe the distinguishing characteristics of carbohydrates.

6. Distinguish between monosaccharide, disaccharide and polysaccharide. Describe how disaccharides and polysaccharides are formed.

7. Describe the roles of the following: glucose, sucrose, lactose, starch, glycogen, cellulose, chitin.

Lipids

8. Explain what distinguishes lipids from other major classes of macromolecules.

9. Describe the unique properties, building-block molecules, and biological importance of the three important groups of lipids: fats, phospholipids, and steroids.

10. Distinguish between a saturated and an unsaturated fat and list some unique properties that are a consequence of these structural differences.

11. Be able to recognize structural diagrams of these three types of lipids, identify key parts (phosphate group, glycerol backbone, fatty acid tails, etc). Be able to distinguish which is a phospholipid, which is a triglyceride, and which is a steroid.

Proteins

12. Describe the characteristics that distinguish proteins from the other major classes of macromolecules and explain the biologically important functions of this group.

13. Be able to list the eight general types of proteins and explain their function.
14. List and describe the four major components of an amino acid. Explain how amino acids may be grouped according to the physical and chemical properties of the side chains.
15. Be able to name the three categories of R-groups. If shown structural formulas of R-groups, be able to determine which category they belong in.
16. Describe the features of a peptide bond, and explain how it is formed.
17. Distinguish between peptide, polypeptide and protein.
18. Distinguish between primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary structure.
19. Describe the two types of secondary protein structure. Explain the role of hydrogen bonds in maintaining the structure.
20. Explain how hydrogen bonds, hydrophobic exclusion, ionic bonds and disulfide bridges contribute to tertiary protein structure.
21. Using collagen and hemoglobin as examples, describe quaternary protein structure.
22. Describe the role of chaperonins in protein folding.
23. Describe the process of denaturation. What factors influence protein structure? Why does denaturation occur? How does denaturation usually influence protein structure? Is it reversible?

Nucleic Acids

24. Describe the characteristics that distinguish nucleic acids from the other major groups of macromolecules.
25. Describe the roles of DNA and RNA.
26. List the major components of a nucleotide, and describe how these monomers are linked to form a nucleic acid. Be able to identify the 2’, 3’ and 5’ carbons on the sugar.
27. Distinguish between a pyrimidine and a purine.
28. Briefly describe the three-dimensional structure of DNA.

Visual recognition

29. Be able to distinguish between the structural and other diagrams of monosaccharides, disaccharides, polysaccharides, fatty acids, glycerol, triacylglycerol, phospholipids, steroids, amino acids; primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary structure of peptides; nucleotides, purines and pyrimidines.