IBDP Chemistry Question Analysis Topic: Chemistry - Definitions
Exam Question:
Define the following terms:
(i) Nucleotide
(ii) Anomers
(iii) Essential amino acids
Answer:
For IBDP Chemistry, you should know:
(i) As the monomers, or subunits, of nucleic acids like DNA and RNA, nucleotides are organic molecules. Nucleotides are made up of a nitrogenous base, a five-carbon sugar and at least one phosphate group. They are the building blocks of nucleic acids. A nucleotide is produced by adding a phosphate group to a nucleoside.
(ii) In the chemistry of carbohydrates, anomers are a form of stereoisomer and epimer. An anomer is a cyclic saccharide and an epimer that differs in configuration, notably at the hemiacetal/acetal carbon, also known as the anomeric carbon. An epimer is a stereoisomer that differs in configuration at any one stereogenic centre. The carbon that comes from the carbonyl carbon of the open-chain carbohydrate molecule is known as the anomeric carbon.
(iii) An amino acid that cannot be synthesised by the organism and must thus be supplied in the food is known as an essential amino acid.
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