Biochemistry of Molecules

Question 1

Why is chemistry important?

Answer 1

• Involved in every biological process
• structure, function and interaction of bio molecules is dependent on chemistry principles
• supplements/ medicine - impact the reactions

Question 2

What do atoms consist of?

Answer 2

Protons (+ve), neutrons (neutral) and electrons (-ve)

Question 3

What determines the element we have?

Answer 3

The number of protons

Question 4

What is the atomic number?

Answer 4

The number of protons

Question 4

Why is the atom neutral?

Answer 4

Same number of protons and electrons

Question 5

What is the atomic mass?

Answer 5

Protons+ neutrons

Question 6

What is an isotope?

Answer 6

Same element but has different numbers of neutrons (changing atomic mass but not chemical properties)

Question 7

What are radioactive isotopes called?

Answer 7

Radioisotopes

Question 8

3 uses of isotopes

Answer 8

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

Question 9

What are the 5 key topics in chemistry?

Answer 9

Polarity
Intermolecular forces
Functional groups
pH
Molarity

Question 10

What is a functional group?

Answer 10

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)

Question 11

What are the 3 main types of functional groups?

Answer 11

Hydroxyl
Amine
Carbonyl

Question 12

What is a hydroxyl group?

Answer 12

Oxygen bonded to a hydrogen and an organic molecule (carbon)
Polar bond between O and H

Question 13

What is an amine group?

Answer 13

Contain a nitrogen atom with a lone pair of electrons

Question 14

What is a carbonyl group?

Answer 14

Carbon atom is double bonded to an oxygen and 2 side chains

Question 15

What is an intermolecular force?

Answer 15

A force between molecules
Driven by polarisation
Stronger forces = more energy to break molecules apart

Question 16

What is a van der Waals force/interaction?

Answer 16

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

Question 17

Dipole Dipole attractions

Answer 17

Permanently in a state of polarisation so are attracted to each other

Question 18

What is a covalent bond?

Answer 18

Bonds within a molecule

Question 19

How does a hydrogen bond form?

Answer 19

Hydrogen is covalently bonded to fluorine, nitrogen or oxygen

Question 20

Intermolecular forces within ionic compounds

Answer 20

Transfer electrons so atoms are permanently charged
forms a large lattice structure
High strength = high bpt

Question 21

Importance of ionic solutions

Answer 21

Used to maintain cell potentials and cell signalling

Question 22

What is a mole?

Answer 22

Avogadro’s constant = 6.02 x 10`23

Question 23

What is molar concentration?

Answer 23

Refers to the number of moles of a substance in a defined volume

Question 24

What is the equation for molarity?

Answer 24

Mass= molecular weight x number of moles

Question 25

What is pH?

Answer 25

Term used to describe the acidity of a solution Relates to the concn of H+ ions present More H+ = more acidic

Question 26

Importance of pH?

Answer 26

Blood is kept at 7.4 If you change this pH proteins may unfold or deform

Question 27

What is polarisation?

Answer 27

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

Question 28

What is electronegativity?

Answer 28

a measure of the ability of an atom that is bonded to another atom to attract electrons to itself

Question 29

What is the importance of polarity?

Answer 29

Polar molecules are soluble in water Determines its ability to transport in/ out of cells

Question 30

What is a dipole?

Answer 30

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