introduction

Question 1

biochemistry

Answer 1

the study of chemical processes within and related to living organisms

Question 2

principal types of biological molecules

Answer 2

carbs, lipids, proteins and nucleic acids

Question 3

what is the reaction used to make biomolecules

Answer 3

condensation reaction (removal of water from the reacting monomers)

Question 4

types of polymers

Answer 4

polysaccharides, disaccharides, proteins, fats, DNA and RNA

Question 5

types of monomers

Answer 5

monosaccharides, amino acids, glycerol & fatty acids and nucleotides for DNA & RNA

Question 6

polymers of amino acids monomers

Answer 6

proteins

Question 7

what are amino acids composed of

Answer 7

amine portion and carboxylic acid part

Question 8

composition of alpha-amino acids

Answer 8

an amino group, a carboxyl group, a hydrogen atom, a side chain radical (R group)

Question 9

alpha carbon

Answer 9

the first carbon attached to the COOH group (all the groups of alpha-amino acid groups are attached to it)

Question 10

the charge of the carboxyl and amino groups at physiological pH

Answer 10

carboxyl (negative) and amino (positive)

Question 11

How do amino acids differ from each other

Answer 11

their side chain (radical group)

Question 12

properties of amino acids (6)

Answer 12

1. soluble in water solvents
2. colorless
3. stereoisomerism
4. amphoteric property
5. isoelectric point
6. buffering activity

Question 13

why are amino acids soluble in polar solvents?

Answer 13

due to the presence of charged groups (carboxyl and amino groups)

Question 14

why are amino acids colorless?

Answer 14

as they don’t absorb visible light (with the exception of aromatic amino acids that absorb ultraviolet light with wave length 280nm)

Question 15

what is stereoisomerism of amino acids

Answer 15

molecules have the same molecular formula and the same structural groups but differ in the orientation of the groups

Question 16

the form of naturally occurring amino acids in mammalian proteins

Answer 16

L-form

Question 17

the form of amino acids in bacterial cell walls and in some antibiotics

Answer 17

D-form

Question 18

amphoteric property of amino acids

Answer 18

the property of amino acids to react with acid and alkali to form salts (they can act as either proton donors “alkaline media” or proton acceptors “acidic media”)

Question 19

the isoelectric point of amino acids

Answer 19

the specific pH at which the AA will carry zero charge
(zwitterion/dipolar ion)

Question 20

the buffering activity of amino acids

Answer 20

the acid donating or accepting protons to keep the pH of its environment constant