CAS BI 108 Chapter Notes - Chapter 3: Glucosamine, Amphiphile, Arginine

• School: Boston University
• Department: Biology
• Course: CAS BI 108
• Professor: Francis Monette

Document Summary

3. 1: molecules that characterize living things (1) proteins, (2) carbohydrates, (3) lipids, (4) nucleic acids; with the exception of lipids, these molecules are polymers constructed by covalent bonding of monomers. Proteins: formed from different combinations of 20 amino acids. Carbohydrates: giant molecules linking together monosaccharides to form polysaccharides. Nucleic acids: formed from four kinds of nucleotides linked together in long chains. Lipids: large structures formed from set of molecules (noncovalent forces maintain interactions between lipid monomers. Macromolecules: polymers w/mw exceeding 1000; lipids not technically, but treated as such. Functional groups give specific properties to biological molecules. Functional groups: certain groups of atoms that occur frequently in biological molecules; help determine shape of macromolecule/how it interacts. Isomers have different arrangements of the same atoms. Cis: same side, trans: opposite sides: optical isomers: when carbon has four different atoms/groups attached to it; mirror image; asymmetric isomer.