Exam 1: Chp 1 Flashcards
What are the 4 properties of living systems?
1) Complex and organized
2) Biological structures have functional purposes
3) Energy transformation
4) Self replication
What are the six elements included in biomolecules?
Carbon, Oxygen, Nitrogen, Hydrogen, Phosphorus, and Sulfur
Why is carbon well suited for generating complex biomolecules?
Forms 4 bonds, tetrahedral structure, chains, branches, and rings
Define the biological structural hierarchy
Simple molecules are units for complex molecules
List the biological structural hierarchy
Inorganic precursors
Metabolites
Building blocks
Macromolecules
Supramolecular Complex
What are some inorganic precursors in the biological structural hierarchy?
CO2, NH3, N2, H2O
What are metabolites in the biological structural hierarchy? Examples?
Simple organic molecules such as pyruvate and glyveraldehydes
What are the building blocks in the biological structural hierarchy?
Amino Acids, Fatty Acids, Monosaccharides, and Nucleotides
What are the macromolecules in the biological structural hierarchy?
Nucleic Acids, Proteins, Lipids/Membranes, and Polysaccharides
What properties of biomolecules facilitates information storage?
Having structural polarity (beginning and end) so the cell knows where to stop and stop reading
Sequential order that is not too simple or repetitive
What are Vanderwals Interactions?
Interactions between molecules caused by temporarily induced dipoles
What are hydrogen bonds?
A charge attraction between a positive or partial positive hydrogen and negative or partial negative oxygen or nitrogen with lone pairs
What are ionic bonds?
A charge attractions between positive/partial positive and negative/partial negative molecules, most common in metals
What are hydrophobic interactions?
tendency of non polar molecules to cluster together water because it increases entropy
Why are biological conditions restricted to a narrow range of conditions?
Biological molecules are sensitive to changes in pH, temperature, and ion concentration because these interfere with the weaker non covalent forces that hold together the biological molecule’s structure
Why are biological reactions restricted to sequential reactions that release small amounts of energy?
Large releases of energy could disrupt noncovalent interactions that support biomolecular structure.
Sequential reactions allows the cell to accommodate for change in conditions at each step.
Why is it important for biological molecules to have a unique 3D structure?
Complimentary structures are how biomolecules identify ligands
Gives them organization and sequence
Provides stability when needed
What is a ligand?
A molecule that binds to a biomolecule for function
Why is it important that non covalent forces mediate interactions between a ligand and a biomolecules?
Because these interactions are weaker thus reversibles and biomolecules can then be reused
What is denaturation and what does it lead it?
Loss of structure leads to loss of function
What is an enzyme?
A bimolecular catalyst consisting of protein that is specific to the molecule(s) it interacts with
How do enzymes affect reaction rate and overall thermodynamics?
They lower the activation energy of a reaction to increase the reaction rate, not affecting the overall amount of free energy released by the reaction
