Ch. 4 Biology Lecture

Question 1

In pharmaceutical industry, two enantiomers of a drug –

Answer 1

may not be equally effective.

Question 2

What chemical group is involved in regulating DNA?

Answer 2

methyl group (-CH3)

Question 3

6 most important chemical elements of life:

Answer 3

Carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and phosphate

Question 4

Although the structures of the functional groups that are most important to life vary, they share one thing in common:

Answer 4

They all help give each biological molecule its unique properties

Question 5

When three phosphate groups are covalently attached to adenosine –

Answer 5

ATP is formed

Question 6

Which chemical group is most likely to be responsible for an organic molecule behaving as a base?

Answer 6

Amino

Question 7

Enantiomers –

Answer 7

mirror-image isomers of a molecule

Question 8

Miller’s 1953 laboratory experiment

Answer 8

abiotic compounds cycled through the apparatus and were sampled for organic compounds

Question 9

What chemical group helps stabilize protein structure?

Answer 9

Sulfhydryl group (-SH)

Question 10

Significance of Stanley Miller’s experiments:

Answer 10

a variety of simple organic compounds could be spontaneously synthesized from components in Earth’s primitive atmosphere.

Question 11

The carbon skeleton can vary in –

Answer 11

In their length, branching structure, presence of rings, location of double bonds, and overall shape.

It cannot vary in lacking hydrogen atoms.

Question 12

What chemical group acts as an acid?

Answer 12

carboxyl group (-COOH)

Question 13

Carboxyl is to_____ as _______ is to base.

Answer 13

Carboxyl is to a acid as amino is to a base.

Question 14

A weak acid molecule:

Answer 14

R-COOH

Question 15

significance of chemical groups:

Answer 15

They contribute to the molecular shape of a molecule and its unique properties.

Question 16

What does it mean when a carbon atom is tetravalent?

Answer 16

a carbon atom can complete it’s valence shell by forming four covalent bonds

Question 17

Biologically, what is an important chemical group?

Answer 17

water (H2O)

Question 18

What element is associated with organic chemistry?

Answer 18

Carbon

Question 19

What are the properties of hydrocarbons?

Answer 19

Hydrophobic, nonpolar, and a good source of stored energy.

Question 20

Whena double bond joins two carbon atoms –

Answer 20

cis-trans isomers

Question 21

What is found in all amino acids?

Answer 21

Both -COOH and -NH2

Question 22

Molecules that contain only carbon and hydrogen?

Answer 22

They’re called hydrocarbons

Question 23

How do inorganic (CO2) and organic carbons differ?

Answer 23

organic carbon always has a hydrogen atom covalently attached to it.

Question 24

Why is ATP important in a cell?

Answer 24

ATP stores the potential to react with water, thereby removing a phosphate group and releasing energy for cellular processes.

Question 25

Why is it important to use only one form of an enantiomer?

Answer 25

One enantiomer may provide an effective treatment whereas the other may be ineffective or even toxic.

Question 26

A weak base molecule:

Answer 26

R-NH2

Question 27

Structural isomers have –

Answer 27

the same molecular formula but different covalent arrangements of their carbon skeleton.