Chemistry Of Life

Question 1

What are the roles of Minerals (e.g. Calcium)?

Answer 1

Essential components of bones and teeth; signalling messengers; osmotic balance; protein cofactors and/or active sites

Question 2

What is the role of lipids?

Answer 2

Major components in earwax (cerumen); energy; essential components of cell membranes; cell signalling; important in the makeup of steroid hormones, vitamin D and bile acids

Question 3

What are the roles of proteins?

Answer 3

Make hormones, have structural roles, carriers/binders; membrane transporters, channels, pumps and receptors; cel signalling; enzymes; antibodies

Question 4

How is AMP formed?

Answer 4

AMF is formed from ADP when a phosphate group is lost which releases energy.

Question 5

What is a metabolic pathway?

Answer 5

Refers to the sequence of enzyme catalysed reactions that lead to the conversion of a substance into a final product. E.g. Krebs Cycle, Glycolysis

Question 6

What is a signalling pathway?

Answer 6

A series of chemical reactions in which a group of molecules in a cell work together to control a cell function, such as cell division or cell death

Question 7

What is Anabolism?

Answer 7

Building larger molecules from smaller ones, such as amino acids to build proteins

Question 8

What is Catabolism?

Answer 8

Breaking down larger molecules into smaller ones. E.g. the hydrolysis of foods in the digestive tract.