1 - Intro to Biochem

Question 1

What are the six principle elements of life?

Answer 1

Carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorous and sulfur

Question 2

Alcohol Significance

Answer 2

Polar (therefore water soluble), forms hydrogen bonds

Question 3

Aldehyde significance

Answer 3

Polar, found in some sugars

Question 4

Ketone significance

Answer 4

Polar, found in some sugars

Question 5

Acid (carboxyl group) significance

Answer 5

Weakly acidic, bears a negative charge when it donates a proton

Question 6

Amine significance

Answer 6

Weakly basic, bears a positive charge when it accepts a proton

Question 7

Amide significance

Answer 7

Polar but does not bear a charge

Question 8

Thiol significance

Answer 8

Easily oxidized, can form S-S (disulfide) bonds easily

Question 9

Ester significance

Answer 9

Found in certain lipid molecules

Question 10

Alkene significance

Answer 10

Important structural component of many biomolecules, (eg. found in lipid molecules)

Question 11

What are the two types of nucleotide bases?

Answer 11

Purine and pyrimidine

Question 12

DNA Structure

Answer 12

Two antiparallel polynucleotide strands forming a right hand double helix. Held together by hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interactions

Question 13

What are the two purine nitrogenous bases?

Answer 13

Adenosine and guanine

Question 14

What are the three pyrimidine nitrogenous bases?

Answer 14

Thymine, cytosine and uracil

Question 15

Metabolism is defined as (4 things)

Answer 15

The acquisision and utilisation of energy

Synthesis of molecules needed for cell structure and growth

Growth and development

Removal of waste products

Question 16

Hydrolysis reaction is what type of reaction?

Answer 16

Nucleophilic substitution

Question 17

What is an isomerization reaction?

Answer 17

Occurs when atoms or groups undergo intramolecular shifts

Question 18

The reducing agent ____

Answer 18

donates electrons

Question 19

The oxidizing agent ____

Answer 19

Accepts electrons

Question 20

3 Terms of Systems biology and their meanings

Answer 20

Emergence (interaction of old parts leading to new properties)

Robustness (many biological systems remain stable despite perturbations

Modularity (complex systems are composed of modules)

Question 21

What are three shapes that organic molecules can form?

Answer 21

• Straight structures
• Branched chains
• Rings

Question 22

Nucleotides are involved in what two general functions?

Answer 22

• Genetic information (DNA)

- Protein synthesis (RNA)

Question 23

What are the four classes of small biomolecules?

Answer 23

• Amino acids
• Sugars
• Fatty acids
• Nucleotides

Question 24

How are amino acids classified as α, β or γ?

Answer 24

According to amino group location, if they are next to the carbon attached to the R group, they are alpha.

Alpha is the most common type of amino acid

Question 25

What is the precursor of pantothenic acid (vitamin)?

Answer 25

β-alanine (an example of a beta amino acid)

Question 26

What two types of functional groups do carbohydrates have?

Answer 26

Alcohol and carbonyl functional groups

Question 27

What is Autopoiesis?

Answer 27

A cell’s ability to be self-reliant, a factory which makes all its own materials.

Question 28

The combination of fumarate with H20 to form malate is what type of reaction?

Answer 28

an addition reaction

Question 29

The transition from an aldose to a ketose is what type of reaction?

Answer 29

An isomerization reaction, where aldose underwent an intramolecular shift.

Question 30

What type of reactions involve electron transfer?

Answer 30

Redox reactions

Question 31

What is energy defined as?

Answer 31

The capacity to do work

Question 32

Cells use what type of reactions to generate most of their energy?

Answer 32

redox reactions

Question 33

What are the four processes observed in all organisms (coherent unity)?

Answer 33

• Synthesis of biomolecules
• Transport across membranes
• Cell movement
• Waste removal