Chemistry of Life

Question 1

What is a functional group?

Answer 1

A site of chemical reactivity in a molecule, such as fluorine in hydroxyapatite.

Question 2

What is a carbonyl group?

Answer 2

A carbonyl group is a group of molecules with a carbon (C) double bonded to oxygen (O)

Question 3

What are electrophiles?

Answer 3

Electrophiles are molecules that attack electrons.

Question 4

What are nucleophiles?

Answer 4

Molecules that bond with electrophiles.

Question 5

What are carboxylic acids?

Answer 5

Carboxylic acids are carbonyl groups with a OH group attachment

Question 6

What are fatty acids?

Answer 6

Fatty acids are Carboxylic acids

Question 7

What are dicarboxylic acids?

Answer 7

Compounds that contain two CO(2)H functional groups

Question 8

What are esters?

Answer 8

They are compounds that form when carboxylic acids react with alcohols.

Question 9

What is an example of esters?

Answer 9

Local anesthetics

Question 10

What are amines?

Answer 10

Derivatives of ammonia, can be pH buffers

Question 11

What are amides?

Answer 11

Carbonyl group + nitrogen (N)

Question 12

What is the composition of alcohols?

Answer 12

Alcohols contain an OH group attached to a saturated carbon.

Question 13

What does enthalpy measure?

Answer 13

Changes in energy in the system

Question 14

Why is enthalpy important in chemistry?

Answer 14

Enthalpy helps us to understand if the net heat is lost (ve - H = Catabolism) or the heat is actually taken up (ve + H = Anabolism)

Question 15

What are covalent bonds?

Answer 15

Covalent bonds are strong chemical bonds that occur when two atoms share electrons.

Question 16

What is ionic bonding?

Answer 16

When an ion is able to attach to a an oppositely charged ion

Question 17

What is polar bonding?

Answer 17

Similar to covalent bonding, but charges are unequally positioned making the molecule slightly polarised.

Question 18

What are weak non-covalent bonds?

Answer 18

Weak bonds do not need energy thus are important in biological processes.

Question 19

What is the importance of weak interactions?

Answer 19

They provide great specificity

Question 20

What are the important properties of water?

Answer 20

Universal solvent, easy transport through, hydrophobic interactions

Question 21

What are amphipathic molecules?

Answer 21

Molecules with both polar and non-polar components

Question 22

What happens when amphipathic molecules are dissolved in water?

Answer 22

They form micelles.

Question 23

What are acids?

Answer 23

Acids are any compounds that can donate a H+ ions in water solutions.

Question 24

What is the difference between weak and strong acids?

Answer 24

Weak acid do not fully ionise in water, while strong acids do.

Question 25

What is the difference between weak and strong bases?

Answer 25

Strong bases fully ionise producing Hydroxide ions (OH-) while weak bases only partially ionise.

Question 26

How would you describe the pH scale?

Answer 26

pH scale is a logarithmic scale meaning that every increase in pH is a 10x increase in strength or in opposite direction, 1 unit decrease is 10x decrease in potency.

Question 27

What factors associate with good oral health in terms of saliva?

Answer 27

1. pH of resting saliva 2. The amount of saliva produced 3. Buffering capacity of saliva

Question 28

What is the most significant buffer in saliva?

Answer 28

Carbonic acid - which is a weak acid

Question 29

What are the three modes of pH buffering in saliva?

Answer 29

Carbonic acids, phosphates and protein

Question 30

What is a good saliva pH?

Answer 30

Above 6.3