3.1.8 inorganic ions

Question 1

what is an ion?

Answer 1

an atom that has lost or gained electrons

Question 2

what is the difference between inorganic ions and organic ions?

Answer 2

inorganic ions don’t contain carbon

Question 3

explain the role of iron ions

Answer 3

haemoglobin is a large protein found in red blood cells
it contains 4 polypeptide chains and 4 haem groups, each haem group contains an iron ion

Question 4

explain the role of hydrogen ions

Answer 4

pH is calculated from the concentration of hydrogen ions in the environment
the more hydrogen ions the more acidic the environment

Question 5

explain the role of sodium ions

Answer 5

these are used to co transport glucose and amino acids into cells
they are also involved in the transmission of nerve impulses

Question 6

explain the role of phosphate ions

Answer 6

phospholipids, DNA, RNA and ATP all contain phosphate groups
in ATP it is the bonds between the phosphate groups that store the energy
in DNA and RNA the phosphate are used to bond the nucleotides together to form polynucleotides