BIO 353 Cell Biology

Spring 2016

Exam 1 Study Guide

Lecture 4 Macromolecules
(also info about energy missing from study guide)

How is carbon involved in cell biology?

o Why are carbon containing molecules so stable? (What is the most important
characteristic of carbon?)
o What are hydrocarbons?
o Give an example where hydrocarbons play an important role in cell biology?
What are the four basic monomer subunits/building blocks of the cell and what type of
polymers or larger macromolecules do they form?
o Define monomer and polymer.
o What does the synthesis of macromolecules require?
o What are condensation reactions (what type of reactions are they?) and what do they
require to occur?
o What are hydrolysis reactions (what type of reactions are they
o How do polymer chains fold into specific conformations or unique shapes?
o What are carbohydrates?
What is the most common simple sugar?
What is the difference between a monosaccharide, a disaccharide, an
oligosaccharide, and a polysaccharide?
How do these sugars function in the cell? Give examples
o What are fatty acids and what are their functions?
Describe their basic chemical structure.
What is an important characteristic of fatty acids that affects their solubility in
water?
What is the difference between saturated and unsaturated fatty acids?
Where and in what form are fatty acids stored in the cell?
What are triacylglycerols and what are their functions?
o Describe their basic chemical structure.
o What is an important characteristic of triacylglycerols that affects
whether they are liquid or solid at room temperature?
What are phospholipids and what are their functions?
o Describe their basic chemical structure.
o What primary cellular structures are they found in?
o What are proteins and what are they made of?
Be able to identify the different parts of a proteins building block.
Compare polypeptide to protein; what is the difference?
What type of are bonds are the building blocks linked by?
Why are the two ends of a polypeptide chain chemically distinct; describe the
N and C termini.

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BIO 353 Cell Biology

Spring 2016
o The building blocks of DNA and RNA
Describe the basic chemical structure of a nucleotide. Identify the different
components
What type of are bonds are the nucleotides linked by?
What are some examples of the different types of molecules that nucleotides
can be a part of?
Which nucleotides are purines and which are pyrimidines; which ones base
pair with each other?
How can nucleotides act as short-term carriers of chemical energy?
o How do living things create and maintain order?
What is cell metabolism and how is it organized?
What is the difference between catabolism and anabolism? Give an example
of each
How do cells obtain energy? Photosynthesis vs. respiration
What is entropy? Describe how is movement towards disorder is a
spontaneous process?
Do living cells defy the second law of thermodynamics? Explain your answer
What allows chemical reactions (e.g anabolic reactions) in the cell to proceed
forward?
What are energetically favorable reactions?
What is a coupled reaction?
Define free energy (G).
What determines whether a chemical reaction is favorable?
Define the change in Gibbs free energy (G). What does it measure?
What does it mean to have a negative change in free energy? Catabolic vs.
anabolic reactions
What role do enzymes play in chemical reactions?
What are activated carriers? Describe their function in the cell.
Provide examples of two important activated carrier molecules. How might
they drive a reaction forward?

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