cells, atoms, molecules and membranes Flashcards
atoms, molecules and bonds membrane structure and function membrane transport
what are atoms
the smallest particles that retain the properties of an element
what are atoms made of
sub atomic particles (protons, neutrons, electrons)
atomic number = number of neutrons/protons
protons
what are isotopes
atoms of an element with the same number of protons but different numbers of neutron, and so different masses
additional neutrons of an isotope makes the atom stable/unstable
unstable
what happens when atoms share or exchange electrons with each other
they form a bond
under what circumstances do ionic bonds form
when the electronegativity difference between the elements involved is large
what is a charged atom or molecule called
an ion
what is bond capacity
it is known as the atomic valence e.g. Na has atomic valence 1 and chlorine 7
what are the ionic valences of sodium and chlorine
Na+ +1
chloride -1
what is a covalent bond
the sharing of a pair of valence electrons by two atoms.
do the shared electrons in a bond count as part of each atom’s valence shell
yes
under what circumstances does a hydrogen bond form
when a hydrogen atom covalently to one electronegative atom is also attracted to another electronegative atom (H bonded to O, N, F)
how are hydrogen bonds shown in biological drawings
dotted lines
what are van der waals interactions
bonds formed between locally induced dipoles between atoms in close proximity
as an individual bond are van der waals interactions weak or strong
weak, however, the combined strength is functionally strong and the interactions are constantly changing
Is water a polar or non polar molecule
polar
can water form hydrogen bonds
yes (OH group)
what is cohesion
the holding together of water molecules by hydrogen bonds
why does water have an unusually high surface tension
due to hydrogen bonding between the molecules and the air-water interface and to the water below
what property of water is the reason why some animals can travel across water and why we must measure from the bottom of the meniscus
the high surface tension
how does cohesion assist plants
helps with the transport of water against gravity
what is adhesion
an attraction between different substances e.g. water and plant cell walls
what happens when an ionic compound is dissolved in water
each ion becomes surrounded by a sphere of water molecules called a hydration shell
other than ionic compounds what other substances can water dissolve
polar molecules (like dissolves like)
what is pH
the concentration of H+
what is the pH range that most biological fluids are found in
6 to 8
why is CO2 dangerous for our oceans
it is dissolved in seawater and forms carbonic acid. This is called ocean acidification
what makes a buffer
solutions of a weak acid and its corresponding base, which combine reversibly with H+
explain what happens when the blood is under
- acidic stress
- alkaline stress
acidic stress - H+ and HCO3- combine to form H2CO3, removing acid
alkaline stress - H2CO3 dissociates to form H+ and HCO3-, adding acid
what are the seven main functional groups in biology
hydroxyl OH e.g. alcohols carbonyl C=O e.g. ketones and aldehydes carboxyl COOH e.g. carboxylic acids amino NH2 e.g. amino acids, amines sulfhydryl SH e.g. cysteine, thiols phosphate PO4 e.g. glycerol phosphate methyl CH3 e.g. methylated compounds
what are polymers made of
monomers
by what process are biological polymer generally formed by
dehydration (removal of water to create an amide bond)
name some common polymers
DNA, RNA, proteins, cellulose, keratin, lipids
what are membranes
phospholipid polymers of fatty acids, glycerol, phosphate and a terminal amine or alcohol group
what is meant by membranes being amphipathic
they have hydrophobic and hydrophilic parts
what is phosphatidyl choline made from
choline, a phosphate linkage to glycerol which is esterified with two fatty acids
phospholipids have a hydrophobic head/tail and a hydrophilic head/tail
hydrophilic head
hydrophobic tail
membrane phospholipids spontaneously form ……….. and ………… in water
monolayers and bilayers
what are simple detergents (soaps)
salts of fatty acids which retain amphipathicity and can interact and dissolve other organic compounds
name 4 reasons why the membranes are important
they compartmentalize metabolic activities
they separate/protect cellular components
they provide a scaffold for signalling
they are essential for cellular energy generation
what feature of membranes allows for compartmentalization, protection and energy generation
immiscibility of water and membranes
the phospholipid bilayer is polar/non-polar
non-polar