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Biology Module 2 > Biological Molecules & Water > Flashcards

Biological Molecules & Water Flashcards

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1
Q

What are the main elements that are key to biochemistry?

A
  • Carbon
  • Hydrogen
  • Oxygen
  • Nitrogen
  • Phosphorus
  • Sulfur
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2
Q

Where is phosphorus evident in biochemistry?

A

DNA, ATP

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3
Q

How many bonds can carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen form

A
  • Carbon = 4
  • Hydrogen = 1
  • Oxygen = 2
  • Nitrogen = 3
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4
Q

Which key elements are present in carbohydrates?

A

Carbon, hydrogen, oxygen

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5
Q

Which key elements are present in lipids?

A

Carbon, hydrogen, oxygen

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6
Q

Which key elements are present in proteins?

A

Carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur

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7
Q

Which key elements are present in nucleic acids?

A

Carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus

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8
Q

What is a cation?

A

An ion that is positively charged due to the loss of electrons from an atom.

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9
Q

What are the main cations needed in the body?

A
  • Calcium ions (Ca2+)
  • Sodium ions (Na+)
  • Potassium ions (K+)
  • Hydrogen ions (H+)
  • Ammonium ions (NH4+)
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10
Q

What is an anion?

A

An ion which is negatively charged due to the gain of electrons from an atom.

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11
Q

What are the main anions needed in the body?

A
  • Nitrate ions (NO3-)
  • Hydrogen carbonate ions (HCO3-)
  • Chloride ions (Cl-)
  • Phosphate ions (PO4 3-)*
  • Hydroxide ions (OH-)

*the 3- is the charge

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12
Q

What are polymers?

A

Long chain molecules made up by the linking of individual molecules known as monomers in a repeating pattern.

The monomers in carbohydrates are sugars (saccharides) and amino acids in proteins.

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13
Q

What is the difference between organic and inorganic substances?

A

Organic substances contain carbon bonded to hydrogen (C-H) but inorganic substances do not.

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14
Q

What are the biological functions of water?

A
  • Reactant in many chemical reactions (e.g. hydrolysis)
  • Transports substances (e.g. glucose, mineral ions)
  • Solvent -most biological reactions take place in a solution such as cytoplasm
  • Involved in temperature control - high specific heat capacity, high latent heat of evaporation
  • Habitat - nutrients can be dissolved in water. Water contains oxygen, allowing organisms to survive and reproduce.
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15
Q

What is meant by a “polar molecule”?

A

When water is formed, the shared negative hydrogen electrons are pulled towards the oxygen atom, leaving the other side of each hydrogen atom with a slight positive charge.

The unshared negative electrons on the oxygen atom give it a slight positive charge. This means water is a “polar “ molecule, as it has a partial negative charge on one side and a partial positive charge on the other.

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16
Q

What is hydrogen bonding?

A

The slightly negatively charged oxygen atoms attract the slightly positively charged hydrogen atoms of other water molecules.

This force of attraction is known as hydrogen bonding, and it is a relatively weak force.

17
Q

What are the 5 key properties of water?

A
  • High specific heat capacity
  • High latent heat of evaporation
  • Cohesive
  • Good solvent
  • Less dense as a solid
18
Q

How do hydrogen bonds give water a high specific heat capacity?

A

Hydrogen bonds between water molecules can absorb a lot of energy - meaning water has a high SHC as it takes a lot of energy to heat up.

As a result of this, water does not experience rapid temperature changes, making it a good habitat. Temperature underwater is more stable than in water on land.

19
Q

How do hydrogen bonds give water a high latent heat of evaporation?

A

A lot of energy is needed to break the hydrogen bonds between water molecules, meaning water has a high latent heat of evaporation as a lot of energy is used up when water evaporates.

Water is useful for cooling things - mammals sweat in the heat and when sweat evaporates, it cools the skin’s surface.

20
Q

What is meant by cohesion?

A

Attraction between molecules of the same type.

21
Q

Why is cohesiveness of water useful?

A

It allows it to flow, making it great for transporting substances. It also helps water move up plant stems in a transpiration stream.

22
Q

How does water’s polarity make it a good solvent?

A

The strength of polar attraction and hydrogen bonds mean ions are totally surrounded by water molecules, meaning they will dissolve. This makes water a useful solvent (e.g. ions can dissolve in the water in the blood).

23
Q

Why is water less dense as a solid?

A

Water molecules are held further apart in ice, and they form 4 hydrogen bonds to form a lattice shape. This makes ice less dense than liquid, hence why it floats.

This is useful for organisms as ice forms an insulating layer on top of water - the water below the ice doesn’t freeze.

Biology Module 2 (8 decks)

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