C1: The Chemical Basis Of Life Flashcards

1
Q

What is electronegativity?

A

A measure of an atoms ability to attract a shared electron pair when it is participating in a covalent bond with another atom

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2
Q

What does a larger electronegativity number indicate in terms of covalent bond electron attraction?

A

A larger electronegativity number indicates a stronger attraction of electrons in a covalent bond.

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3
Q

What does a smaller electronegativity number indicate in terms of covalent bond electron attraction?

A

A smaller electronegativity number indicates a weaker attraction of electrons in a covalent bond.

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4
Q

What is the symbol for the number of electronegativity?

A

En

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5
Q

What is the value of noble gases

A

Zero

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6
Q

In a covalent bond, what happens when an electron pair is equally shared?

A

Both atoms involved share the pair of electrons.

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7
Q

Which atom takes on a partial negative charge in a covalent bond?

A

The atom that attracts the pair more strongly

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8
Q

What forms a polar bond

A

When an atom with lower electronegativity bonds with an atom with higher electronegativity

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9
Q

What are the most common organic materials on Earth?

A

Carbohydrates.

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10
Q

What elements are found in carbohydrates?

A

Carbon, Hydrogen, and Oxygen

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11
Q

What ratio are the carbohydrates elements found in

A

1 : 2 : 1
C, H, O

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12
Q

What three groups are carbohydrates classified into?

A

Monosaccharides, oligosaccharides, and polysaccharides

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13
Q

What is the bond that links carbohydrates together?

A

Glycosidic linkage

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14
Q

What are disaccharides?

A

Disaccharides are formed when two sugar molecules bond together.

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15
Q

What are polysaccharides?

A

Polysaccharides are formed when several hundred to several thousand sugar molecules link together.

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16
Q

What are the functions of polysaccharides?

A

Polysaccharides serve as either energy storage, like starch or glycogen, or structural support, like cellulose or chitin.

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17
Q

What are lipids?

A

Lipids are a large group of hydrophobic molecules composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen.

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18
Q

Which four families are lipids classified?

A

Lipids are divided into four families: fats, phospholipids, steroids, and waxes.

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19
Q

What is the most common energy storing molecule in living things?

A

Fat (lipids).

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20
Q

What are triglycerides?

A

Triglycerides are the most common fats in plants and animals, composed of three fatty acids and one molecule of glycerol.

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21
Q

Describe the structure of fatty acids.

A

Fatty acids are long hydrocarbon chains with a single carboxyl group at one end.

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22
Q

How are fatty acids classified based on their bonds?

A

Saturated: all carbons having four single bonds
Unsaturated: with one or more carbon-carbon double bonds

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23
Q

What is formed when glycerol reacts with a fatty acid?

A

An ester linkage is formed, along with the production of water.

24
Q

What are the components of cell membranes?

A

Cell membranes are composed of phospholipids, which have one fatty acid replaced by a phosphate group.

25
Q

Describe the polarity of the phosphate group in phospholipids.

A

The phosphate group in phospholipids is very polar and hydrophilic with respect to water.

26
Q

What is the structure of sterols?

A

Sterols contain four fused hydrocarbon rings and several different functional groups.

27
Q

What is one of the most well-known sterols?

A

Cholesterol is one of the most well-known sterols.

28
Q

What role does cholesterol play in cell membrane structure?

A

Cholesterol keeps the cell membrane strong and flexible.

29
Q

What health condition has cholesterol been linked to?

A

atherosclerosis.

30
Q

What are waxes composed of?

A

Waxes are composed of long-chain fatty acids linked to alcohols or carbon rings.

31
Q

What are waxes good for?

A

Waxes are good for waterproofing substances because they are hydrophobic.

32
Q

Can you provide an example of a wax found in plants?

A

Cutin is an example of a wax found in plants, which forms a water-resistant coating on leaves.

33
Q

What are proteins made of?

A

Proteins are made of amino acids.

34
Q

How many different R groups are there?

A

There are 20 different R groups.

35
Q

What determines the final shape of a protein?

A

The sequence of the amino acids determines the final shape of a protein.

36
Q

What are the bonds that hold amino acids together called?

A

The bonds that hold amino acids together are called peptide bonds.

37
Q

What are the two shapes of structural proteins?

A

Linear strands or sheets and spherical globular proteins.

38
Q

How many levels of protein structure are there?

A

There are four levels of protein structure.

39
Q

What is the primary structure of a protein?

A

Refers to the sequence of amino acids in a polypeptide chain.

40
Q

What is the secondary structure of a protein?

A

Involves coils and folds that occur at various points along the amino acid sequence.

41
Q

What is the tertiary structure of a protein?

A

Involves the supercoiling of a polypeptide, stabilized by side-chain interactions.

42
Q

What is the quaternary structure of a protein?

A

Represents two or more polypeptide subunits forming a functional protein.

43
Q

What are enzymes and what do they do?

A

Enzymes are protein catalysts that speed up chemical reactions without being consumed.

44
Q

How do enzymes work?

A

Enzymes work by reducing the activation energy of a chemical reaction.

45
Q

What is the substrate in enzyme reactions?

A

The specific reactant that an enzyme acts on.

46
Q

What is the active site of an enzyme?

A

The active site is the specific spot on the enzyme where the substrate binds.

47
Q

How specific are enzymes in binding to reactants?

A

Enzymes are very specific in binding to the reactants they can work with.

48
Q

What is a common characteristic of enzyme names?

A

A common characteristic is that enzyme names often end with “-ase”

49
Q

Question: How does temperature affect enzyme activity?

A

Answer: enzymes have optimal ranges to work in and can denature if taken too far out of that optimal range

50
Q

Question: What happens to enzyme catalyzed reactions as temperature increases?

A

Answer: Enzyme catalyzed reactions generally increase in speed with an increase in temperature.

51
Q

Question: What happens to enzyme structure at high temperatures?

A

Answer: At high temperatures, the protein structure of enzymes can get disrupted, resulting in denaturation and loss of enzyme function.

52
Q

Question: What is the optimal temperature for most human enzymes?

A

Answer: Most human enzymes work best at around 37 degrees Celsius.

53
Q

Question: Besides temperature, what other factors may affect enzyme activity?

A

Answer: Enzymes may require non-protein cofactors or organic coenzymes to function properly.

54
Q

Question: What are competitive inhibitors?

A

Answer: Substances that can block the enzyme’s active site, preventing the normal substrate from binding.

55
Q

Question: Can competitive inhibition be overcome?

A

Answer: Competitive inhibition can be overcome by increasing the concentration of the enzyme substrate.

56
Q

Question: What are non-competitive inhibitors?

A

Answer: Non-competitive inhibitors do not affect the enzyme at its active site, and their effect cannot be overcome by adding more substrate.