biochemistry

Question 1

name the 4 elements of life

Answer 1

carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen

Question 2

name the 7 nutrients

Answer 2

carbohydrates
proteins
lipids
vitamins
minerals
water
fibre

Question 3

what elements are in carbohydrates

Answer 3

carbon hydrogen and oxygen

Question 4

what is the function of carbohydrates

Answer 4

complex carbohydrates are broken down into simple carbohydrates in order to be used as energy

Question 5

name the 3 groups that carbohydrates can be split into

Answer 5

monasaccharides
disaccharides
polysaccharides

Question 6

what are monosaccharides

Answer 6

the smallest unit of carbohydrates, only one carbon ring.
-eg: glucose, galactose. fructose
very reactive
(simple carbohydrate)

Question 7

what are disaccharides

Answer 7

carbohydrates made up of two carbon rings
-eg: maltose , lactose , sucrose
limited chemical reactivity
(simple carbohydrates)

Question 8

what are polysaccharides

Answer 8

carbohydrates made out of many carbon rings all joined toghether to form a chain
-eg: starch, glycogen, cellulose
not reactive at all
(complex carbohydrates)

Question 9

are complex carbohydrates soluble or insoluble

Answer 9

insoluble

Question 10

are simple carbohydrates soluble or insoluble

Answer 10

soluble

Question 11

explain how solubility affects the role of carbohydrates

Answer 11

-soluble carbohydrates (simple carbohydrates) can be easily transported around the body
however
-insoluble carbohydrates (complex carbohydrates) are used for storage because of their insolubility

Question 12

what are some examples or sources of carbohydrates

Answer 12

sugars (simple carbohydrates)- mostly in the form of sucrose and found in sugary foods like cookies or soft drinks

cellulose (complex carbohydrate) - found in cells walls of plant cells. Humans can not digest this, so we can not use cellulose for energy but it forms dietary fibre that prevents constipation

starch (complex carb that gets broken into simple carb) and is used for energy

Question 13

what happens to carbs in our body

Answer 13

1- the carbs we eat are broken into glucose to be used as energy
2- any excess glucose is converted into glycogen (complex carb) and stored.
3- when there is excess glycogen (complex carb) it is converted to fat and stored

Question 14

what are the functions of water

Answer 14

heat control
transport medium
reagent and solvent

Question 15

what is fibre

Answer 15

undigested cellulose that absorbs a lot of water and softens faeces to prevent constipation

Question 16

name two functions of fibre

Answer 16

-stimulates peristalsis (movement of intestines)
-reduces cancer risks by moving the food faster in the digestive tract

Question 17

what are proteins made out of
(4 elements)

Answer 17

carbon oxygen hydrogen nitrogen

Question 18

what are the functions of protein

Answer 18

-building blocks of muscle, bones etc
-form important structures like enzymes or hormones
-used as a last resort when body runs out of carbs

Question 19

what are the building blocks of proteins

Answer 19

amino acids

Question 20

explain how proteins are formed

Answer 20

amino acids link together by peptide bonds and these form a polypeptide chain
this chain is later folded into a specific configuration to form the final protein

Question 21

what happens to excess amino acids

Answer 21

they are sent to the liver to be deaminated - meaning that the amino group is separated from the rest of the protein and converted to urea. The rest of the protein is converted to a carbohydrates or fat and stored

Question 22

name two sources of protein

Answer 22

• animal proteins (fish,meat,cheese,eggs)
• plant proteins (lentils,beans,nuts)

Question 23

what are lipids

Answer 23

fats and oils

Question 24

what are lipids made of (elements)

Answer 24

carbon, oxygen, hydrogen

Question 25

what are the functions of lipids

Answer 25

energy store
insulation
protection

Question 26

what is the structure of lipids

Answer 26

a lipid molecule consists of two parts
-glycerol (main part)
-3 chains of fatty acids

Question 27

name a few sources of lipids

Answer 27

animal lipids (egg yolk, cheese, meet)
plant lipids (palm oil, seed oil)

Question 28

distinguish between saturated and unsaturated fat

Answer 28

-saturated fats contribute to plaque formation in arteries and are derived from animal lipids
-unsaturated fats are liquid (oil) and help lower blood cholesterol levels

Question 29

name 3 examples of saturated and unsaturated fats

Answer 29

saturated: chicken skin, ice cream, meat
unsaturated: olive oil, avocado, salmon

Question 30

what are the functions of vitamins

Answer 30

vitamins are needed in small quantities to assist the action of enzymes in chemical reactions, making them essential for cell reactions. There are multiple types of vitamins to aid in the reactions in the body

Question 31

name and explain two examples of vitamins

Answer 31

Vitamin B (found in salmon,banana,etc)
-a co enzyme in the reaction of cellular respiration

Vitamin C
(found in orange ,blackcurrant, potatoes) -used to help amino acids in collagen to stick together

Question 32

what are minerals

Answer 32

elements like calcium and iron that the body needs in small amounts

Question 33

name two examples of minerals

Answer 33

calcium (Ca) Iron (Fe)

Question 34

What’s the function of calcium

Answer 34

helps in formation of strong bones and teeth
deficiency causes rickets, slow blood clotting or brittle bones

Question 35

what’s the function of Iron

Answer 35

helps make haemoglobin which binds to oxygen and Co2 in red blood cells
deficiency causes anemia etc

Question 36

when does malnutrition occur

Answer 36

when a person has an imbalanced diet

Question 37

name 3 examples of malnutrition

Answer 37

-type 2 diabetes (consuming high sugar)
-eating disorders
-kwashiorkor (protein deficiency) causes delayed growth and fluid accumulation in the belly