Exam 1

Question 1

Are viruses alive?

Answer 1

Depends on how you define life, and who you ask

Question 2

What forces are present if a cellular environment?

Answer 2

Drag, pH, Hydrophobicity, and “Wear and Tear”

Question 3

Describe a covalent bond

Answer 3

A bond between 2 atoms that share an electron

Question 4

Describe a non-covalent bond

Answer 4

A weaker bond that relies on (partial) charges,, Ionic, Hydrogen, and Van der Waals interactions

Question 5

When do you see covalent bonds in a cell?

Answer 5

Seen when monomers make polymers

Question 6

When do you see non-covalent bonds in a cell?

Answer 6

Seen when larger subunits interact with other subunits, or when temporary interactions need to happen

Question 7

Why are lipid bilayers not considered polymers if they are made up of the “monomer” phospholipids?

Answer 7

Phospholipids are not held together by covalent bonds, but by non-covalent bonds

Question 8

What are some of the common features in cells?

Answer 8

Cells store hereditary information as DNA, Central Dogma, Cells are enclosed by a plasma membrane

Question 9

What is the Central Dogma?

Answer 9

DNA is replicated through templated polymerization, DNA is transcribed into RNA, RNA is translated into proteins

Question 10

What is the structure of a nucleotide consistent of?

Answer 10

Phosphate group, sugar, and a nitrogenous base

Question 11

How is DNA stored in the nucleus?

Answer 11

DNA is wrapped around histone proteins (to organize them) which then condenses them into classic chromosome shapes (when not undergoing cell division, or otherwise, the DNA is free and unbound

Question 12

What is an amino acid structure consistent of?

Answer 12

Amino group, Carboxyl group, a-Carbon atom, and a side chain group

Question 13

What bond holds together polypeptides and what are some of the qualities of this bond?

Answer 13

(O=C-N-H) C_N bond is non-rotational