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Questions and Answers
What type of sugar is ribose classified as?
What type of sugar is ribose classified as?
Which monosaccharide is primarily used as the substrate for respiration?
Which monosaccharide is primarily used as the substrate for respiration?
Which of the following disaccharides is formed by the condensation of glucose and galactose?
Which of the following disaccharides is formed by the condensation of glucose and galactose?
What type of glycosidic bonds mainly link glucose molecules in glycogen?
What type of glycosidic bonds mainly link glucose molecules in glycogen?
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Which statement accurately describes amylose?
Which statement accurately describes amylose?
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What is the primary function of glycogen in animals?
What is the primary function of glycogen in animals?
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Cellulose is primarily characterized by which type of glucose?
Cellulose is primarily characterized by which type of glucose?
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Which polysaccharide is notably a mixture of amylose and amylopectin?
Which polysaccharide is notably a mixture of amylose and amylopectin?
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What is the primary structure of a protein?
What is the primary structure of a protein?
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Which inorganic ion is essential for the production of chlorophyll in plants?
Which inorganic ion is essential for the production of chlorophyll in plants?
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What type of bonding primarily determines the secondary structure of proteins?
What type of bonding primarily determines the secondary structure of proteins?
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What property of water helps maintain stable temperatures in living organisms?
What property of water helps maintain stable temperatures in living organisms?
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Which of the following best describes fibrous proteins?
Which of the following best describes fibrous proteins?
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What molecule forms after a condensation reaction between two monosaccharides?
What molecule forms after a condensation reaction between two monosaccharides?
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What is the role of haemoglobin in the body?
What is the role of haemoglobin in the body?
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Which ion is primarily involved in the structural formation of calcium pectate in plant cells?
Which ion is primarily involved in the structural formation of calcium pectate in plant cells?
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What distinguishes globular proteins from fibrous proteins?
What distinguishes globular proteins from fibrous proteins?
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What kind of reaction forms peptide bonds between amino acids?
What kind of reaction forms peptide bonds between amino acids?
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What type of bond forms between saccharide units during the formation of carbohydrates?
What type of bond forms between saccharide units during the formation of carbohydrates?
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What is the role of iron ions in biological systems?
What is the role of iron ions in biological systems?
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What defines the tertiary structure of a protein?
What defines the tertiary structure of a protein?
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Why is water considered a polar molecule?
Why is water considered a polar molecule?
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Why are collagen fibers strong?
Why are collagen fibers strong?
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What effect does water's high latent heat of vaporisation have on living organisms?
What effect does water's high latent heat of vaporisation have on living organisms?
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What is the primary function of microfibrils in plant cells?
What is the primary function of microfibrils in plant cells?
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What distinguishes saturated lipids from unsaturated lipids?
What distinguishes saturated lipids from unsaturated lipids?
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Which statement about triglycerides is correct?
Which statement about triglycerides is correct?
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What role do hydrogen bonds play in the structure of microfibrils?
What role do hydrogen bonds play in the structure of microfibrils?
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What is a key characteristic of chitin?
What is a key characteristic of chitin?
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What can excessively high levels of saturated fat in the diet lead to?
What can excessively high levels of saturated fat in the diet lead to?
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What are phospholipids composed of in relation to triglycerides?
What are phospholipids composed of in relation to triglycerides?
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Why do unsaturated lipids melt at lower temperatures compared to saturated lipids?
Why do unsaturated lipids melt at lower temperatures compared to saturated lipids?
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Study Notes
WJEC Biology A-level: Topic 1.1 Biological Compounds
- Inorganic Ions: Inorganic ions are found in high and low concentrations in cytoplasm and body fluids. Essential for plant growth, nitrates are needed for making DNA and amino acids. Calcium ions form calcium pectate for middle lamellae. Phosphates are needed for ADP and ATP. Magnesium ions are for chlorophyll production; iron for haemoglobin (oxygen transport in red blood cells).
Water
- Polar Molecule: Water's uneven charge distribution gives a slightly negative charge near oxygen and positive near hydrogen. This polarity is crucial.
- Metabolism: Involved in condensation and hydrolysis reactions (forming and breaking chemical bonds).
- Solvent: Many metabolic reactions occur in water.
- High Heat Capacity: Requires a lot of energy to warm, minimizing temperature fluctuations in living organisms. This acts as a buffer.
- High Latent Heat of Vaporisation: Evaporation provides cooling with little water loss.
- Cohesion: Water molecules stick together, important for transport in tube-like cells, providing strong cohesion supports columns of water. Surface tension is also high due to cohesion.
Carbohydrates
- Composition: Contain carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. Long chains of sugar units called saccharides. Three types: monosaccharides, disaccharides, and polysaccharides.
- Monosaccharides: Small organic molecules that are building blocks for complex carbohydrates. Varying number of carbon atoms (e.g., glyceraldehyde, ribose, glucose).
- Disaccharides: Formed by condensation of two monosaccharides (glucose + glucose = maltose, glucose + fructose = sucrose, glucose + galactose = lactose).
- Polysaccharides: Long chains of glucose units joined by glycosidic bonds (formed by condensation reactions). Examples include glycogen (animal energy storage), starch (plant energy storage, made of amylose and amylopectin) and cellulose (plant structural support). Glycogen has a large number of branching chains enabling quick energy release. Amylose forms a compact structure ideal for energy storage.
Lipids
- Solubility: Soluble in organic solvents (e.g., alcohols). Two main types: saturated and unsaturated.
- Saturated: Contain no carbon-carbon double bonds. Often found in animal fats, can increase cholesterol and coronary heart disease risk.
- Unsaturated: Contain carbon-carbon double bonds. Found in plants. Have lower melting points than saturated fats.
- Triglycerides: Formed by condensation of glycerol and three fatty acids. Used as energy storage. Fatty acid chain length, presence and number of double bonds vary.
- Phospholipids: Similar to triglycerides but one fatty acid replaced by a phosphate group. Hydrophilic heads (attract water) and hydrophobic tails (repel water). Form micelles in water.
Proteins
- Composition: Made from amino acids joined by peptide bonds in condensation reactions. 20 different amino acids with varying R groups.
- Structure: Four levels: primary (amino acid sequence), secondary (alpha helix or beta pleated sheet), tertiary (3D shape), and quaternary (multiple polypeptide chains). Bonding (hydrogen bonds, ionic bonds, disulphide bridges) dictates structure.
- Globular Proteins: Compact, water-soluble (e.g., enzymes)
- Fibrous Proteins: Long, insoluble, structural (e.g., collagen, keratin). Collagen provides strength in bones, cartilage, and connective tissues.
- Haemoglobin: Globular protein carrying oxygen in blood.
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Description
This quiz covers essential concepts from WJEC A-level Biology, focusing on biological compounds such as inorganic ions and the properties of water. Learn about the roles of various ions in biological processes and the significance of water's unique characteristics in metabolism and temperature regulation. Test your knowledge on how these compounds contribute to life.
