Question

Describe the ways in which a polymer is affected by condensation (or dehydration) and hydrolysis reactions. Explain why phospholipids are said to be amphipathic Choose one of the categories of macromolecules and justify it importance to organisms.

Answer 1

Answer:

Explanation:

When you are thirsty, it's your body's way of telling you to drink some water because you are dehydrated. Just like a dehydration reaction, you've lost water. Dehydration reactions are named as such because as the polymers are linked together, a molecule of water is released. This happens because on one end of a monomer is a hydrogen atom (-H) that is just waiting to bind with a hydroxyl group (-OH) on another monomer. Hydroysis which is the reverse of dehydration work the same way.

Phospholipids are amphipathic molecules. This means that they have a hydrophilic, polar phosphate head and two hydrophobic fatty acid tails. These components of the phospholipids cause them to orientate themselves, so the phosphate head can interact with water and the fatty acid tails can't, hence forming a bilayer.

Macromolecules  are large structures composed of atoms and smaller molecular structures and play important and sometimes vital roles in creating and sustaining life.  It can be organized into four categories: proteins, nucleic acids, carbohydrates, and lipids.

Carbohydrates:

Found in many energy-providing foods, carbohydrates help the nervous system, muscles, and body in general function. A group of polymers, they contain nothing but carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. Human bodies break down carbohydrates into their base components, which it then uses to fuel cells and maintain body processes. Plants use carbohydrates, particularly cellulose, to protect their cells and to grow larger. The list of carbohydrates is extensive and includes all sugars and starches.