Chemistry of Life 1 - MT1 - Part 2

Question 1

What are the 3 molecular basis of life?

Answer 1

1. Cannot understand life if you don’t understand chemistry
2. Life is carbon based
3. Most carbon containing molecules in organisms are chiral

Question 2

Why is life said to be carbon based?

Answer 2

Because carbon has flexible bonding properties that allow it to form a huge variety of molecules

Question 3

Apart from water, what do almost all molecules found in cells have?

Answer 3

Carbon

Question 4

What kind of bonds does carbon make?

Answer 4

Strong covalent bonds

Question 5

What is carbon known as?

Answer 5

The backbone for the majority of organisms

Question 6

Chiral molecule

Answer 6

Is a molecule that cannot be superimposed on its mirror image
- carbon with 4 different atoms bonded to it

Question 7

What is an example of chiral?

Answer 7

Your hands

Question 8

What happens if you line up L and D isomers?

Answer 8

They dont line up

Question 9

What bonds holds water together?

Answer 9

H bonds

Question 10

What is the medium where most biochemical reactions take place?

Answer 10

Water

Question 11

Why are most biochemical reactions soluble in water?

Answer 11

Because the water molecules has regions with local negative (O2) and positive (H+) charge and they create a sense of stickiness

Question 12

Is water non polar or polar?

Answer 12

Polar

Question 13

Hydrophilic

Answer 13

Water loving

Question 14

Hydrophobic

Answer 14

Water fearing

Question 15

What make up membranes?

Answer 15

Phospholipids

Question 16

What are the tail of the phospholipids made up of?

Answer 16

Hydrophobic molecules

Question 17

What are the heads of the phospholipids made up of?

Answer 17

Hydrophilic molecules

Question 18

Why does salt dissolve in water?

Answer 18

Because Na and Cl are attracted to the water molecules with their partial charges
- electrostatic attraction

Question 19

What is an example of a molecule that is soluble in water?

Answer 19

Myoglobin

Question 20

What formula do many astrobiologists believe in?

Answer 20

Water = life

Question 21

What 2 statements have not been proven yet for astrobiologists?

Answer 21

1. Where there is life there is water

2. Where there is water there is life

Question 22

What is an example of life without water?

Answer 22

Saturn has ethane and methane

Question 23

What is an example of water without life?

Answer 23

Lake vostok

- is a lake under the glacier

Question 24

What can you think of carbohydrates as?

Answer 24

Sugars

Question 25

Monosaccharide

Answer 25

1 sugar

Question 26

Disaccharide

Answer 26

2 sugars

Question 27

Polysaccharide

Answer 27

Many sugars (polymers of sugar)

Question 28

Oligosaccharide

Answer 28

Few sugars

Question 29

What are carbohydrates made up of?

Answer 29

Repeating sugar units

Question 30

What are the backbone of carbon atoms?

Answer 30

Monosaccharides

Question 31

What can breaking and re-arranging bonds lead to?

Answer 31

Release of energy

Question 32

What are 3 functions of sugars?

Answer 32

1. Energy source
2. Energy transport
3. Carbon skeletons for modification

Question 33

What provides energy for the cell?

Answer 33

Glucose

• through oxidation
• this is why you need O2

Question 34

Energy transport

Answer 34

Carbohydrates are broken down to glucose and moved throughout the cell

Question 35

What kind of process is energy transport?

Answer 35

A cellular process

Question 36

What do plants us for energy?

Answer 36

Sucrose

Question 37

What are 2 functions of polysaccharides?

Answer 37

1. Energy storage

2. Structural support

Question 38

What is an example of energy storage?

Answer 38

Starch

- source of energy

Question 39

What is an example of structural support?

Answer 39

Cellulose

- provides stability and shape for the cell