Biology 116 Mini Exam 1 - Miami University
Simplified Exam Questions with 100% Correct Answers
Carbon - has 4 unpaired elections in the outer shell, allowing it to bond with 4 other
molecules; form polar and non-polar bonds
Functional Groups - side groups bonded to carbon chains; have special characteristics
Polymer - a chain of repeating, not necessarily identical units
Carbohydrates - made of C, H, and O [Cn(H2O)n]; monosaccharides, disaccharides, and
polysaccharides
Monosaccharide - simplest sugars; very soluble, common energy source; often pentose or
hexoses; ring or linear
Pentose - 5 carbon sugar (ex. ribose, deoxyribose)
Hexose - 6 carbon sugar (ex. glucose)
Disaccharide - 2 monosaccharides; made through dehydration (ex. glucose + fructose - H2O
= sucrose)
Polysaccharide - many monosaccharides; role is based on the structure:
- long term storage (ex. starch, glycogen)
- structure (ex. cellulose)
, Lipids - non-polar, hydrophobic; longterm energy storage (fats, triglycerides), membrane
structure (phospholipids), hormones (steroids), fatty acids
Saturated Fatty Acid Chains - the fatty acid is a straight bond (usually solid); max # of
hydrogens
Unsaturated Fatty Acid Chains - a double bond causes a kink in the chain
Phospholipids - crucial for membrane structure; amphipathic
Steroids - 4 fused rings; critical signaling molecules; control gene activities (ex. puberty);
planar structure; cholesterol (can be converted to other steroids by modifying side groups, like
estrogen and testosterone, also used in membranes
Proteins - made from C, H, O, and N, S in some essential amino acid; 20 amino acid building
blocks; uses include DNA replication (ASE) and enzymes; found in food, skin, and muscles;
polypeptides; structure is extremely important
Polypeptide - a linear chain of amino acids; each amino acid has a side group that interacts
with other amino acids and the order is determined by the DNA
Protein Structure - bad things can happen if the structure is impaired, it messes with the
function of the protein; follows a hierarchy
Primary Structure (of proteins) - order of the amino acids in a protein
Secondary Structure (of proteins) - repeating pattern determined by chemical and physical
properties of amino acids; alpha helix (corkscrew) and beta strand (beta pleated strand)
Simplified Exam Questions with 100% Correct Answers
Carbon - has 4 unpaired elections in the outer shell, allowing it to bond with 4 other
molecules; form polar and non-polar bonds
Functional Groups - side groups bonded to carbon chains; have special characteristics
Polymer - a chain of repeating, not necessarily identical units
Carbohydrates - made of C, H, and O [Cn(H2O)n]; monosaccharides, disaccharides, and
polysaccharides
Monosaccharide - simplest sugars; very soluble, common energy source; often pentose or
hexoses; ring or linear
Pentose - 5 carbon sugar (ex. ribose, deoxyribose)
Hexose - 6 carbon sugar (ex. glucose)
Disaccharide - 2 monosaccharides; made through dehydration (ex. glucose + fructose - H2O
= sucrose)
Polysaccharide - many monosaccharides; role is based on the structure:
- long term storage (ex. starch, glycogen)
- structure (ex. cellulose)
, Lipids - non-polar, hydrophobic; longterm energy storage (fats, triglycerides), membrane
structure (phospholipids), hormones (steroids), fatty acids
Saturated Fatty Acid Chains - the fatty acid is a straight bond (usually solid); max # of
hydrogens
Unsaturated Fatty Acid Chains - a double bond causes a kink in the chain
Phospholipids - crucial for membrane structure; amphipathic
Steroids - 4 fused rings; critical signaling molecules; control gene activities (ex. puberty);
planar structure; cholesterol (can be converted to other steroids by modifying side groups, like
estrogen and testosterone, also used in membranes
Proteins - made from C, H, O, and N, S in some essential amino acid; 20 amino acid building
blocks; uses include DNA replication (ASE) and enzymes; found in food, skin, and muscles;
polypeptides; structure is extremely important
Polypeptide - a linear chain of amino acids; each amino acid has a side group that interacts
with other amino acids and the order is determined by the DNA
Protein Structure - bad things can happen if the structure is impaired, it messes with the
function of the protein; follows a hierarchy
Primary Structure (of proteins) - order of the amino acids in a protein
Secondary Structure (of proteins) - repeating pattern determined by chemical and physical
properties of amino acids; alpha helix (corkscrew) and beta strand (beta pleated strand)
