Biological Chemistry Flashcards
Dalton’s atomic theory (4)
1. All matter is made of atoms. Atoms are indivisible and indestructible. 2. All atoms of a given element are identical in mass and properties. 3. Compounds are a combination of two or more different kinds of atoms. 4. A chemical reaction is a rearrangement of atoms.
Molecule (definition)
an electrically neutral group of two or more atoms
held together by covalent chemical bonds
Compound (definition + example)
A pure substance made up of two or
more elements in a fixed ratio by mass
Ex) H2O2 (hydrogen peroxide)
Ways to represent molecules (4)
1) Molecular Formula
2) Structural Formula
3) Ball and Stick
4) Space filling model
Atoms are defined by: (3)
- MASS NUMBER = protons + neutrons
- ATOMIC NUMBER = protons (defines an element)
- ATOMIC WEIGHT = weight of all sub‐atomic particles
12 —-> Mass Number
C
6 —-> Atomic Number
Isotopes (definition)
Same atomic number (number of protons) but the Mass Number has chanced
Ex) C12 (most abundant) –> C13, C14 (iso.)
Ground‐State electron configuration: (def.)
The electron configuration of the lowest energy state of an atom
Quantized: e- can only be found in certain areas
Electron shells and corresponding #e-
nucleus (protons + neutrons) 1st shell = holds 2 electrons 2nd shell = holds 8 electrons 3rd shell = holds 18 electrons 4th shell = holds 32 electrons
Electron configurations (song)
1s2, 2s2, 2p6, 3s2, 3p6, 4s2, etc.
Covalent bond (def.) Elements that form covalent bonds (4)
Formed by the sharing of one or more
pairs of electrons
Readily form covalent bonds (HCNO)
H-H is strongest (>Kj/mol) compared to others
Ranking Bonds (strongest to weakest)
Ionic bonds STRONGEST
Hydrogen bonds
Van der Waals
Hydrophobic interactions WEAKEST
A molecule will be polar if:
1) it has polar bonds, &
2) its centres of partial positive and partial negative charges lie at different places within the molecule.
Directionality always points TO PATIAL NEGATIVE
Dipole‐Dipole Interactions
These occur due to the electrostatic attraction of positive and negative dipoles between molecules
Forming an Ionic Bond
1) Lose or gain enough electrons to acquire a filled valence shell and become an ion.
2) An ionic bond is the result of the force of attraction between a cation (+) and an anion (‐).
3) An ionic bond is the result of the force of attraction between a cation and an anion
Electronegativity (EN): [definition]
The ability of an atom to lose or gain an electron is determined by its attraction for electrons
High EN
C, N, Cl, O
Low EN
Na, Ca
Hydrogen Bonds
Bond between a hydrogen (partial positive) and adjacent EN atom which is partially negative (usually N or O)
Bronnsted definitions of acids and bases
- An acid has a tendency to lose a proton.
* A base has a tendency to accept a proton.
Water acting as either a Bronnsted Acid or base depending on scenario
Acting as Base: HCl + H2O -> Cl- + H3O+
Acting as Acid: 2Na + 2H20 -> 2Na+ + 2O- + 2H
pH is the measure of:
acidity
pH equation
pH = -log10 [(H3O+)]
pKa properties (2)
1) A pKa value tells us how acidic (or not) a given hydrogen atom in a molecule is (see titration diagrams).
2) pKa is defined as the pH at which a group has LOST HALF of its hydrogens.
Strong Acids vs. Weak Acids
Strong Acids: Completely dissociate in h20
Weak Acids: Dont completely dissociate in h20 (many biological proteins have functional groups that are weak acids)
Van Der Waals interactions (london dispersion)
1) the attraction between temporary induced
dipoles
2) strength increases as the mass & number of electrons in a molecule increases
3) Even though very weak, they contribute significantly to the attractive forces between large molecules as they act over large surface areas
Hydrophobic molecules
(hydro, water + phobos, fear)
are molecules which are NON-IONIC, NON-POLAR & therefore cannot form hydrogen bonds with water.
Amphipathic molecules
(amphi, both + pathos, passion)
- Are both hydrophobic and hydrophilic.
Ex) Detergents are amphipathic: SDS
Chemical Kinetics: (def)
The study of the rates of chemical reactions
Factors affecting rates of reaction (6)
1) molecular collisions
2) activation energy
3) nature of the reactants
4) concentration of the reactants
5) temperature
6) catalyst
2 Types of Energy Diagrams
1) Exothermic reactions
2) Endothermic reactions
Exothermic Reactions
Reactants higher E than products
Release of energy
Endothermic Reactions
Reactants lower E than products
Energy needs to be put into the system
Nature of Reactants:
ex) Faster reactions
ex) Slower reactions
Fast) Reactions between ions in aqueous solution are very fast (their activation energies are very low).
Slow) Reactions between covalent compounds, whether in water or another solvent, are slower (their activation energies are higher).
Temperature Affecting Rate of reaction
Approximation: 10°C increase in temperature, the reaction rate doubles.
Catalyst
A substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction without itself being used
up.