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General Biology 1 > Chemistry Of Life > Flashcards

Chemistry Of Life Flashcards

1
Q

What is the atomic number?

A

The number of protons (above the chemical symbol)

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2
Q

What is the atomic mass?

A

The sum of the number of protons and neutrons

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3
Q

What are the masses of the proton, the neutron, and the electron?

A

Proton and Neutron: 1atomic mass

Electron: negligeable mass

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4
Q

Why is it that the atomic mass of most atoms isn’t an interger?

A

Because of their isomers, which makes them have more or less neutrons

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5
Q

What is a covalent bond?

A

It’s a bond in which two atoms share a pair of electrons.

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6
Q

What do you call a molecule made of more than one type of atom?

A

Compound

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7
Q

What is electronegativity?

A

The force that atoms exert on electrons.

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8
Q

What happens when an atom in a covalent bond has stronger electronegativity than the other atom?

A

The electrons shared in that bond will stay for a longer time close to the said atom.
Unequal sharing of electric charge.

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9
Q

What is called a covalent bond in which an atom is more electronegative than the other?

A

A polar covalent bond

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10
Q

What is the strongest bond in Bio 1?

A

Covalent bonds

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11
Q

What are hydrogen bonds?

A
  • Positively charged portion of one molecule has a weak attraction to the negatively charged portion of another molecule (OH attracted to highly electronegative atom)
  • H-bonds don’t share electrons
    -Involve hydrogen with either oxygen, nitrogen, fluorine or chlorine
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12
Q

Why are H-bonds important for life?

A

Every being on Earth is held together by H-bonds

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13
Q

What are ionic bonds?

A
  • A complete transfer of ele trons
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14
Q

What do atoms become when they lose or gain electrons? Be precise.

A

Ions:
- Cations if they lost electrons
- Anions if they gain electrons

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15
Q

What molecules are hydrophilic?

A

Polar molecules and ionic compounds

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16
Q

What molecules are hydrophobic?

A

Nonpolar molecules

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17
Q

What type of molecules usually dissolve in water? Why?

A

Ionic and polar molecules because of H-bonds

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18
Q

Non-polar molecules are also attracted to each other through which bond?

A

Van der Waals forces

19
Q

Rank all the bonds from the weakest to the strongest.

A

Van der Waals forces, H-bonds, Ionic bonds and Covalent bonds

20
Q

Why does ice float on water? Explain.

A

Ice is less dense then liquid water because:

  • Each molecule of water forms hydrogen bonds with four other molecules
  • These 4 H-bonds increase the space the water molecules take up=> water when freezing
21
Q

What is cohesive strength?

A

Hydrogen bonds keep water molecules from coming apart

22
Q

What other characteristic does cohesive strength give to water?

A

A high surface tension (surface of water relatively difficult to puncture

23
Q

What is the solvent of life?

A

Water

24
Q

How much water composes each living organism?

A

70%

25
Q

Why is water important for organisms (apart from the fact that it is the solvent of life)?

A

Chemical reactions in each living organism need a watery environment to happen

26
Q

What substances release H+ when dissolved in water?

A

Acids

27
Q

What substances release OH- when dissolved in water?

A

Bases

28
Q

What is a carboxyl group?

A

-COOH
It functions as an acid because:
-COOH–» -COO^-+H^+
(releases an H^+)

29
Q

What is an amino group?

A

Functions as weak base by accepting H^+
-NH2+H^+–» -(NH3)^+

30
Q

10^-1 mol/L of H^+ is less acid then 10^-6 mol/L of H^+. True or False.

A

False

31
Q

What other properties affect the behavior of molecules?

A

-Functional groups
- Isomers

32
Q

What are functional groups for?

A

They give specific properties to molecules

33
Q

Name the 7 functional groups.

A

Hydroxyl, Aldehyde, Keto, Carboxyl, Amino, Phosphate and Sulfhydryl

34
Q

Describe hydroxyl/alcohol (Components and properties).

A
  • OH bonded to a C which is attached to a compound
  • Polar
  • Links to other molecules by dehydration
  • Forms H-bonds to dissolve into water
  • Finish in -ol
35
Q

Describe aldehydes (Components and properties).

A
  • O has a double bond with a C, which is also attached to an H
  • C=O is really reactive
  • Important in building molecules
  • Important in energy-releasing reactions
36
Q

Describe ketones (Components and properties).

A

-O has a double bond with a C, which is attached to 2 compounds
- Important in carbohydrates
- Important in energy reactions

37
Q

Describe ketones (Components and properties).

A
  • O has a double bond with C, which is attached to 2 compounds
  • Important in carbohydrates
  • Important in energy reactions
38
Q

Describe carboxyl (Components and properties).

A
  • Acidic
  • O has a double bond with a C which bonded to an OH and another compound
39
Q

Describe amino (Components and properties).

A
  • Basic
  • N is bonded to 2 H and a compound
40
Q

Describe phosphate (Components and properties).

A
  • Negatively charged
41
Q

Describe Sulfhydryl (Components and properties).

A
  • S bonded to an H and to a compound
  • By giving up H, two -SH groups form a disulfide bridge, thus stabilizing protein structure
42
Q

What are isomers?

A

Molecules that have the same chemical formula, but different structural formula

43
Q

What is the difference between structural and optical isomers?

A

Structural: the atoms are joined differently
Optical: Mirror image of another molecule

44
Q

What does synthesizing mean?

A

Making

General Biology 1 (11 decks)

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