Biochemistry of Molecules Flashcards
Why is chemistry important?
- Involved in every biological process
- structure, function and interaction of bio molecules is dependent on chemistry principles
- supplements/ medicine - impact the reactions
What do atoms consist of?
Protons (+ve), neutrons (neutral) and electrons (-ve)
What determines the element we have?
The number of protons
What is the atomic number?
The number of protons
Why is the atom neutral?
Same number of protons and electrons
What is the atomic mass?
Protons+ neutrons
What is an isotope?
Same element but has different numbers of neutrons (changing atomic mass but not chemical properties)
What are radioactive isotopes called?
Radioisotopes
3 uses of isotopes
Carbon dating - 14C - age of organic artefacts due to half life
Medicine- Tc attached to a pharmaceutical to deliver it to a target site
Anti doping- measures metabolite
What are the 5 key topics in chemistry?
Polarity
Intermolecular forces
Functional groups
pH
Molarity
What is a functional group?
The functional group is an arrangement of atoms that is responsible for the chemical characteristics of a compound (e.g. how it reacts with other compounds)
What are the 3 main types of functional groups?
Hydroxyl
Amine
Carbonyl
What is a hydroxyl group?
Oxygen bonded to a hydrogen and an organic molecule (carbon)
Polar bond between O and H
What is an amine group?
Contain a nitrogen atom with a lone pair of electrons
What is a carbonyl group?
Carbon atom is double bonded to an oxygen and 2 side chains
What is an intermolecular force?
A force between molecules
Driven by polarisation
Stronger forces = more energy to break molecules apart
What is a van der Waals force/interaction?
Electrons that orbit the nucleus create a cloud of -ve charge
can be temporarily concentrated to one part of the atom and attracted to the +ve end of another molecule
Stronger = higher bpt
Dipole Dipole attractions
Permanently in a state of polarisation so are attracted to each other
What is a covalent bond?
Bonds within a molecule
How does a hydrogen bond form?
Hydrogen is covalently bonded to fluorine, nitrogen or oxygen
Intermolecular forces within ionic compounds
Transfer electrons so atoms are permanently charged
forms a large lattice structure
High strength = high bpt
Importance of ionic solutions
Used to maintain cell potentials and cell signalling
What is a mole?
Avogadro’s constant = 6.02 x 10`23
What is molar concentration?
Refers to the number of moles of a substance in a defined volume
What is the equation for molarity?
Mass= molecular weight x number of moles
What is pH?
Term used to describe the acidity of a solution
Relates to the concn of H+ ions present
More H+ = more acidic
Importance of pH?
Blood is kept at 7.4
If you change this pH proteins may unfold or deform
What is polarisation?
Atoms have differing levels of electronegativity which attracts shared electron pairs towards them which can create a polar bond where the more electro-ve atom becomes -ve charged
What is electronegativity?
a measure of the ability of an atom that is bonded to another atom to attract electrons to itself
What is the importance of polarity?
Polar molecules are soluble in water
Determines its ability to transport in/ out of cells
What is a dipole?
Difference in electronegativity between 2 atoms.
A difference greater than 2 = ionic bond
A difference less than o.5 = non polar covalent
Between 0.5 and 2 = polar covalent
