Biochemistry Chapter 2
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Questions and Answers

Which element is classified as a trace metal or trace element?

  • Hydrogen (H)
  • Carbon (C)
  • Oxygen (O)
  • Zinc (Zn) (correct)

What determines the chemical properties of elements in the same group of the periodic table?

  • Number of protons
  • Atomic mass
  • Number of neutrons
  • Number of electrons in the outermost shell (correct)

What is the lightest isotope of hydrogen?

  • 1H (correct)
  • 2H
  • 3H
  • H

How many covalent bonds can a nitrogen atom form?

<p>Three (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

In the periodic table, what do horizontal rows represent?

<p>Periods (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the main characteristic of isotopes?

<p>Same number of protons, different number of neutrons (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What type of bond is formed when two electrons are shared between two atoms?

<p>Covalent bond (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does the atomic number indicate about an element?

<p>Number of protons (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which element is primarily NOT a major component of biomolecules in living organisms?

<p>Argon (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What role do enzymes play in cellular metabolism?

<p>They catalyze chemical reactions. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which elements are primarily involved in defining the electrochemical membrane potential of cells?

<p>Sodium and Potassium (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How do metals contribute to enzymatic functions?

<p>They are essential for the active sites of certain enzymes. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is one of the key functions of chemical principles in biology?

<p>To enable the formation of complex cellular structures. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of these is considered a role of biotechnology concerning cellular chemistry?

<p>Equipping organisms with new abilities, like generating biofuels. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is an example of a less common element found in a few proteins?

<p>Selenium (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which statement accurately describes the relationship between chemistry and biology?

<p>Biology is fundamentally based on chemical principles. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does the absence of a distinction between covalent bonds and ionic interactions imply in the model?

<p>It includes all types of molecular connections. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How can one deduce the number of hydrogen atoms bound to a carbon atom in a molecule?

<p>By knowing that carbon can form four bonds. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What geometric shape does the molecular structure of methane (CH4) adopt?

<p>Tetrahedral (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

In ammonia (NH3), what is the role of the free electron pair around the nitrogen atom?

<p>It influences the molecular geometry of ammonia. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements is true regarding the molecular geometry of water (H2O)?

<p>Its bent shape is due to free electron pairs and bonds. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What would be the shape of carbon dioxide (CO2) given its bonds and electron pairs?

<p>Linear (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What principle explains the repulsion of electron pairs and their arrangement in space?

<p>Valence shell electron repulsion theory (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements about double or triple bonds is correct?

<p>The same principles of bond counting and geometry apply. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is essential for the formation of hydrogen bonds in biomolecules?

<p>A hydrogen atom with a high positive charge and an atom with a negative charge and free electron pair. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Why do salts like NaCl dissolve in water?

<p>Because they are surrounded by a hydration shell of water molecules. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which characteristic describes hydrophilic substances?

<p>They can form hydrogen bonds with water molecules. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What do van der Waals interactions depend on?

<p>Changes in electron density creating temporary dipoles. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How do hydrophobic substances behave in an aqueous environment?

<p>They aggregate with one another and do not form hydrogen bonds. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What role do hydrogen bonds play in the functioning of proteins?

<p>They assist in the folding of proteins to achieve functionality. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which statement about hydrogen bonds is true?

<p>Hydrogen bonds are responsible for the solubility of polar substances. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which interaction is considered weak and arises from temporary dipoles?

<p>Van der Waals interactions (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is unique about archaeal membranes compared to those of bacteria and eukaryotes?

<p>They are based on isoprenoids. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is considered an aldose?

<p>Galactose (B), Mannose (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the composition formula often associated with carbohydrates?

<p>Cn(H2O)n (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What term is used for carbohydrates consisting of two monosaccharides?

<p>Disaccharides (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which carbohydrate is the most widespread monosaccharide and an important energy source?

<p>Glucose (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What classification of saccharides includes those typically composed of 3-10 monomers?

<p>Oligosaccharides (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Cholesterol is an important isoprenoid lipid that serves what primary function in cell membranes?

<p>To increase fluidity (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What distinguishes ketoses from aldoses in carbohydrates?

<p>Ketoses contain a ketone group at C2. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What defines the redox state of an atom in a molecule?

<p>The oxidation numbers assigned to the atoms (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which molecule has the highest oxidation number for carbon?

<p>Carbon dioxide (CO2) (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

In the context of redox chemistry, what is oxidation generally defined as?

<p>An increase in oxidation number (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a nitrogen counterpart to alcohols?

<p>Amines (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the oxidation number of carbon in formaldehyde?

<p>0 (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which statement about redox processes is incorrect?

<p>Oxygen is always involved in oxidation (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How is the oxidation number of carbon in methane (CH4) determined?

<p>By assigning both electrons to hydrogen (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

In a carbon-nitrogen bond, what is the nitrogen counterpart of a carboxylic acid?

<p>Amide (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What defines the arrangement of elements in the periodic table?

<p>The increasing atomic number of the elements (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements accurately describes the concept of isotopes?

<p>Isotopes have the same atomic number but different mass numbers (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is essential for an atom to form covalent bonds with other atoms?

<p>Having a stable outer electron shell (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What determines the geometric shape of a molecule according to the repulsion of electrons?

<p>The arrangement maximizing distance between electron pairs (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What characteristic do elements in the same group of the periodic table share?

<p>They have similar chemical properties (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How many bonds does carbon typically form in standard molecular structures?

<p>Four bonds (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How many covalent bonds can carbon typically form?

<p>Four (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which statement about covalent bonds is accurate?

<p>They are formed by sharing one or more pairs of electrons (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What type of molecular geometry does ammonia (NH3) adopt?

<p>Pyramidal geometry (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What defines a period in the periodic table?

<p>A horizontal row indicating the number of electron shells (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

In the absence of free electron pairs, what is the shape of carbon dioxide (CO2)?

<p>Linear shape (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following correctly describes the bonding of nitrogen in ammonia (NH3)?

<p>Nitrogen forms three covalent bonds and has one free pair (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which statement about trace metals is true?

<p>They act as cofactors for enzymes in biochemical reactions (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Why do hydrogen atoms typically not appear in shorthand notation for Lewis structures?

<p>Hydrogens are assumed to be at all corners (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the shape of water (H2O) due to the influence of its free electron pairs?

<p>Bent shape (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which factors influence how many hydrogen atoms are bound to a carbon in a molecular structure?

<p>The number of covalent bonds formed by carbon (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary source of sucrose in the diet?

<p>Sugar cane or sugar beet (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which carbohydrate is a building block of ribonucleic acid (RNA)?

<p>Ribose (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a characteristic feature of carboxylic acids in physiological conditions?

<p>They tend to form anions. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What type of structural form do monosaccharides with five or more carbon atoms exist in water?

<p>Multiple different forms including open-chain and closed-chain (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements about amines is true?

<p>Tertiary amines have three carbon-containing substituents. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What distinguishes the cyclic form of glucose from the cyclic form of ribose?

<p>Glucose forms exclusively 6-membered rings, while ribose prefers 5-membered rings. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What role does adenosine triphosphate (ATP) play in biological molecules?

<p>It activates compounds for biochemical reactions. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the function of disulfide bridges in proteins?

<p>They stabilize the three-dimensional shape of proteins. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What phenomenon allows the interconversion of hemiacetal structures in carbohydrates?

<p>Thermal molecular motion (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which functional group is analogous to ethers in the presence of sulfur?

<p>Thioethers (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following describes a difference between ribose and desoxyribose?

<p>Ribose contains more oxygen atoms than desoxyribose. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What defines the alpha (α) and beta (β) forms of cyclic carbohydrates?

<p>The orientation of the hydroxyl group at the hemiactal formation point (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What type of bonds does ATP contain between its phosphate groups?

<p>Anhydride and ester bonds (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How does the cleavage of phosphate bonds in ATP affect free energy?

<p>It releases a significant amount of free energy. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the smallest aldose compound mentioned in the content?

<p>Glyceraldehyde (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

In which form is phosphorus primarily found in biological molecules?

<p>As phosphate groups (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Why is water (H2O) a liquid at room temperature while carbon dioxide (CO2) is a gas despite CO2 having a higher molecular mass?

<p>Water has polar bonds resulting in stronger intermolecular forces. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What term describes the ability of an atom to attract bonding electrons?

<p>Electronegativity (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How does electronegativity change within the periodic table?

<p>It decreases from left to right and top to bottom. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What occurs in a polarized bond between two atoms of differing electronegativity?

<p>One atom becomes partially negative, and the other becomes partially positive. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What happens when a very high difference in electronegativity exists between two bonding partners, such as sodium and chlorine?

<p>Both bond electrons localize at the more electronegative atom, forming ions. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What characteristic allows sodium chloride (NaCl) to maintain strong interactions between its ions?

<p>Ionic interactions between Na+ and Cl-. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What effect does increasing electronegativity generally have on the bond electrons?

<p>Electrons are attracted more strongly towards the atom with higher electronegativity. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which statement best defines the concept of ionic bonds?

<p>Ionic bonds involve the complete transfer of electrons from one atom to another. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What property of palmitic acid makes it an amphiphile?

<p>It contains a hydrophilic carboxylic acid group and a hydrophobic hydrocarbon chain. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How do fatty acids arrange themselves in water to form micelles?

<p>The hydrophobic tails form the interior while hydrophilic heads are on the surface. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of vesicles in biological membranes?

<p>They provide a hydrophobic barrier separating aqueous compartments. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the main difference between phospholipids and fatty acids in cellular membranes?

<p>Phospholipids possess permanently charged head groups. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements accurately describes the fluidity of cellular membranes?

<p>A mixture of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids maintains optimum fluidity. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What distinguishes isoprenoids from fatty acids in their structural characteristics?

<p>Isoprenoids contain methyl branches at every fifth carbon position. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What happens to the properties of phospholipids when they are incorporated into a bilayer membrane?

<p>They create a stable structure that separates internal and external environments. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the significance of the amphiphilic nature of molecules like phospholipids?

<p>It promotes spontaneous formation of stable membranes. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

Atomic Number

Number of protons in an atom's nucleus.

Isotopes

Atoms of the same element with different neutron counts.

Covalent Bonds

Chemical bonds formed by sharing electrons between atoms.

Periodic Table

Organized chart of all known elements.

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Electron Shells

Energy levels where electrons orbit the nucleus.

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Groups (Periodic Table)

Vertical columns in the periodic table.

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Periods (Periodic Table)

Horizontal rows in the periodic table.

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Trace Metals/Elements

Essential metals in small quantities for biological functions.

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Cell Chemistry

The study of chemical processes within cells, involving interactions between biomolecules and inorganic solutes to enable life functions.

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Enzymes

Biological catalysts that speed up chemical reactions in cells.

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Biomolecules

Molecules that are essential for life, typically composed primarily of carbon.

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Essential Elements (Biomolecules)

Six key elements primarily found in almost all biomolecules: hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, and sulfur.

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Metals' role in enzymes

Metals are crucial components of many enzymes, enabling essential biochemical reactions.

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Cellular Structures

Complex structures within cells, formed by chemical reactions as ordered systems

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Biotechnology & Synthetic Biology

Applications that use understanding of cellular chemistry to develop new abilities for organisms, like biofuel or plastic digestion

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Essential Ions

Ions that play important roles in cell function

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Lewis structures

Simplified diagrams of molecules, showing atoms and bonds, omitting some atoms (mostly H and C) for clarity.

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Carbon's bonds

In typical molecules, carbon forms four bonds.

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Determining hydrogens

If you know how many bonds a carbon atom already has in a structure, the remaining bonds indicate how many hydrogens are present.

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Free electron pairs

Unbonded electron pairs found on atoms, typically nitrogen or oxygen, not involved in bonds.

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Molecular Shape

The 3D arrangement of atoms in a molecule, determined by electron repulsion and bond angles.

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Tetrahedral Geometry

Arrangement of four bonds around an atom, forming a three-sided pyramid (tetrahedron) shape.

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Bent Shape

A bent molecular structure like seen in a water molecule, caused by free electron pairs and bonds around the central atom.

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Linear shape

Straight line molecular shape created by no free electron pairs on central atom, and bonds that are evenly spaced.

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Archaeal Membranes

Archaeal cell membranes are built using isoprenoids instead of fatty acids.

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Isoprenoids

Molecules found in all organisms, including archaea and also animals.

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Cholesterol

An isoprenoid lipid important for animal cell membranes, increasing fluidity.

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Carbohydrates

Biomolecules often called saccharides or sugars, not all taste sweet (e.g. cellulose).

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Monosaccharides

Simple carbohydrates with a few carbon atoms (less than 10).

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Disaccharides

Carbohydrates containing two monosaccharide units linked together.

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Glucose

A common 6-carbon monosaccharide aldose (aldehyde-containing sugar) and a primary energy source.

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LUCA

Last Universal Common Ancestor, the most recent common ancestor for all organisms on Earth.

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Redox State of a molecule

The degree to which an atom is oxidized or reduced in a molecule.

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Oxidation Number

A hypothetical charge assigned to an atom in a molecule, calculated by formal assignment of electrons in a chemical bond.

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Oxidation

A chemical process that increases the oxidation state by removing electrons.

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Reduction

A chemical process that decreases the oxidation state by gaining electrons.

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Electronegativity

The tendency of an atom to attract electrons toward itself in a chemical bond.

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Redox Reactions in Biology

Electron transfer between molecules. These reactions are fundamental to life.

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Functional Groups

Specific groups of atoms within a molecule that have characteristic chemical properties.

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Carbon Oxidation Level

Describes the degree of oxidation of carbon atoms in molecules, ranging from highly reduced (methane) to highly oxidized (CO2).

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Hydrogen Bonds in Biomolecules

Hydrogen bonds form when a hydrogen atom bonded to an electronegative atom (like oxygen or nitrogen) has a partial positive charge and another electronegative atom with a free electron pair has a partial negative charge.

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Hydrogen Bond Formation Prerequisites

Hydrogen bonds require a hydrogen atom with a partial positive charge and another atom with a partial negative charge and at least one free electron pair.

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Hydrophilic Substances

Substances that readily dissolve in water due to their polarized or ionic nature. They attract water molecules via hydrogen bonds and electrostatic interactions.

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Hydrophobic Substances

Substances that do not dissolve in water. They are apolar or weakly polar, preventing hydrogen bond formation with water.

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Van der Waals Interactions

Weak attractive forces between non-polar molecules due to fluctuating temporary dipoles.

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Hydration Shell

The stable sphere of water molecules surrounding dissolved ions, held by weak electrostatic forces, which makes salts soluble in water.

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Solubility of Molecules

The ability of a substance to dissolve in a liquid. Hydrophilic molecules dissolve easily, while hydrophobic ones do not.

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Importance of Hydrogen Bonds

Play crucial roles in biomolecule structures (e.g., protein folding, genetic code), and solubility of molecules.

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Trace Metals

Essential metals required in small quantities by living organisms for biological functions. These metals often act as enzyme cofactors.

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Elements arranged in Periodic Table

Elements are organized by their atomic number, which is the number of protons in their nucleus. Elements in the same group share similar chemical properties, while elements in the same period have different properties.

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Neutral Molecules

Molecules with no overall charge. Hydrogen (H) forms one bond, carbon (C) forms four bonds, nitrogen (N) forms three bonds, and oxygen (O) forms two bonds.

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Group's Significance

Elements within the same group of the periodic table have similar chemical properties because they have the same number of electrons in their outermost shell.

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Hydrogen's Unique Trait

The lightest hydrogen isotope, 1H, is the only atom type that does not contain any neutrons.

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Predicting Molecular Shape

By counting the number of free electron pairs and bonds around an atom, you can predict the molecule's 3D shape because electrons repel each other and arrange themselves as far apart as possible.

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Carbon's Bonding Rule

Carbon forms four bonds in standard molecules. This means if a carbon atom is shown with two bonds in a Lewis structure, the other two bonds must be to hydrogen atoms.

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Polar Bond

A bond where shared electrons spend more time near the more electronegative atom, creating partial charges (δ+ and δ-) on the atoms. This leads to a difference in charge distribution along the bond.

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Non-polar Bond

A bond where shared electrons are equally attracted to both atoms. This results in no partial charges and a balanced distribution of electron density.

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Ionic Bond

A bond formed by the transfer of electrons from one atom to another, creating positively charged cations and negatively charged anions. These ions are held together by electrostatic attraction.

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Why is H2O liquid at room temperature, but CO2 is a gas?

Water (H2O) has a bent shape due to oxygen's higher electronegativity, creating polar bonds and allowing hydrogen bonding between molecules. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is linear, with no polar bonds or hydrogen bonding, making it weaker and a gas at room temperature.

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Alcohols, Aldehydes, Ketones, Carboxylic Acids

These are four important functional groups in biology. Alcohols have an -OH group, aldehydes have a -CHO group, ketones have a C=O group within the molecule, and carboxylic acids have a -COOH group.

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Hydrogen Bonding

A strong attraction between a partially positive hydrogen atom and a partially negative atom (like oxygen or nitrogen) on another molecule. This results from the uneven distribution of electrons in polar bonds.

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Hydrophilic

Substances that readily dissolve in water. They are typically polar or ionic and interact with water molecules through hydrogen bonding or electrostatic interactions.

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Primary, Secondary, Tertiary Amines (and Amides)

These terms refer to the number of carbon-containing substituents attached to the nitrogen atom in the functional group. Primary amines have one, secondary have two, and tertiary have three.

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Hydrophobic

Substances that don't dissolve in water. They are typically non-polar and lack the ability to form hydrogen bonds with water molecules.

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Peptide Bond

A specific type of amide bond that connects two amino acids in proteins. It's formed between the carboxyl group of one amino acid and the amino group of another.

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Phosphate Groups in Biomolecules

Phosphate groups (PO4) are commonly found in biological molecules, often as mono-, di-, or triphosphate groups. They play essential roles in energy storage and transfer.

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Thiols, Thioethers, Thioesters

These are sulfur-containing functional groups that are analogous to alcohols, ethers, and esters, respectively.

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Disulfide Bridges in Proteins

Two sulfur atoms linked together (S-S) form disulfide bridges. These are crucial for stabilizing the 3D structure of proteins by acting as covalent crosslinks.

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High-Energy Thioesters

Thioesters like acetyl-CoA have high-energy carbon-sulfur bonds that are easily cleaved. This property is used to activate carboxylic acids (like acetic acid) for subsequent reactions.

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Amphiphile

A molecule with both hydrophilic (water-loving) and hydrophobic (water-fearing) regions.

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Micelle

A sphere-like structure formed by amphiphilic molecules in water. The hydrophobic tails face inwards, while the hydrophilic heads point outwards.

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Vesicle

A water-filled compartment enclosed by a lipid bilayer membrane, formed by amphiphilic molecules.

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Lipid Bilayer

A double layer of phospholipids forming a barrier between the inside and outside of a cell.

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Phospholipids

Amphiphilic molecules with a phosphate group and two fatty acid tails. They form cell membranes.

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Saturated vs. Unsaturated Fatty Acids

Saturated fatty acids have no double bonds in their carbon chains, making them straight and solid at room temperature. Unsaturated fatty acids have double bonds, creating kinks and making them liquid at room temperature.

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Importance of Membranes

Membranes separate the inside of a cell from its external environment, regulating the flow of molecules and facilitating life processes.

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Hexoses

Carbohydrates with six carbon atoms, including important sugars like glucose and fructose.

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Glyceraldehyde

The simplest aldose, a three-carbon carbohydrate crucial for central carbon metabolism.

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Ribose

A five-carbon pentose sugar that forms the backbone of ribonucleic acid (RNA).

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Deoxyribose

A five-carbon pentose sugar that forms the backbone of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), lacking an oxygen atom compared to ribose.

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Hemiacetal Formation

The reaction where a hydroxyl group reacts with an aldehyde or ketone group in a monosaccharide to create a cyclic structure.

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α and β forms

Two different cyclic forms of monosaccharides with five or more carbons, distinguished by the position of the hemiacetal hydroxyl group.

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Chirality of Carbohydrates

The presence of chiral centers in sugar molecules, giving rise to different stereoisomers with distinct properties.

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Study Notes

Chapter 2: The Building Blocks of Life

  • Chemistry of Life:

    • Elements in biomolecules and biologically relevant ions and trace metals are important.
    • Covalent bonds are crucial in biomolecules, forming when two atoms share electrons.
    • Free electron pairs and the shape of molecules influence their properties.
    • Hydrogen bonds and water's unique properties (high heat capacity, excellent solvent) are essential for life.
    • Van der Waals interactions are weak forces between molecules.
    • Chirality and isomerism are important concepts related to molecules' structures. Functional groups exhibit unique reactivities in biological systems.
    • Mesomerism describes the delocalization of electrons in molecules, increasing stability.
    • Acids and bases are essential to biological systems, with pH and pKa important measures of acidity.

  • Classes of Biomolecules:

    • Lipids, fatty acids, and isoprenoids are important for energy storage and membrane structure. Lipids include fats, oils, and waxes. Fatty acids have hydrocarbon chains with a carboxyl group and can be saturated or unsaturated. Isoprenoids are another diverse lipid type.
    • Carbohydrates serve as a primary energy source and structural components. They are often represented as Cn(Hâ‚‚O)n but also come in various forms (monosaccharides, disaccharides, oligosaccharides, and polysaccharides).
    • Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins. Proteinogenic amino acids exhibit a common structure with an amino and carboxyl group bonded to the same carbon atom (alpha carbon). Most are L-isomers.
    • Nucleotides form nucleic acids (DNA and RNA), crucial for genetic information. Nucleotides are composed of nucleobases, a pentose sugar, and one or more phosphate groups. DNA and RNA are polymers of nucleotides.

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