Naturally Occurring Polymers

• What are naturally occurring polymers found throughout?

  Natural world
• What two functional groups do amino acids contain?

  Amino group and carboxyl group
• What are proteins made of?

  • Polymers of amino acids
  • Formed through condensation polymerization
• How do amino acids form polymer chains?

  By reacting amino and carboxyl groups
• What happens to water during amino acid polymerization?

  Water molecule is lost
• What are long chains of polypeptides known as?

  Proteins
• What are some important uses of proteins in the human body?

  Enzymes, transport, immune response
• What can polypeptides and proteins contain?

  Diverse amino acids
• What determines the properties of proteins?

  Order of amino acids in chains
• What are DNA molecules made from?

  Nucleotides
• What is the structure of DNA?

  Double helix
• What do nucleotides in DNA contain?

  Genetic instructions for organisms
• How many different bases are there in DNA?

  Four
• What is the significance of the order of bases in DNA?

  It determines genetic information
• What is the relationship between amino acids and proteins?

  Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins
• What is the primary function of enzymes in the body?

  To catalyze biochemical reactions
• How do antibodies function in the immune system?

  By identifying and neutralizing pathogens
• What happens to proteins during denaturation?

  They lose their functional shape
• What is the role of hemoglobin in the body?

  Transporting oxygen in the blood
• What is the significance of protein folding?

  It determines protein functionality
• How do proteins interact with other molecules?

  Through specific binding sites
• What is the basic unit of DNA?

  Nucleotide
• What is the function of the sugar in nucleotides?

  To form the backbone of DNA
• What is the role of phosphate groups in DNA?

  They link nucleotides together
• What is the significance of the double helix structure of DNA?

  It allows for stable genetic information storage
• How does DNA replication occur?

  By unwinding and copying the strands
• What is the relationship between genes and proteins?

  Genes encode the instructions for proteins
• What is the primary function of RNA?

  To transfer genetic information
• What is the role of messenger RNA (mRNA)?

  To carry genetic information from DNA
• How do mutations affect proteins?

  They can alter protein structure and function
• What is the role of ribosomes in protein synthesis?

  To assemble amino acids into proteins
• How do enzymes lower activation energy?

  By stabilizing the transition state
• What factors can affect enzyme activity?

  Temperature, pH, and substrate concentration
• What is the primary structure of a protein?

  The sequence of amino acids
• What is the secondary structure of proteins?

  Alpha helices and beta sheets
• How do changes in pH affect protein structure?

  They can lead to denaturation
• What is the tertiary structure of a protein?

  The overall 3D shape of a protein
• What is quaternary structure in proteins?

  Assembly of multiple polypeptide chains
• How do proteins interact with other molecules?

  Through specific binding sites
• What is the role of chaperone proteins?

  To assist in protein folding