Lecture 1 Flashcards
define cytoplasm
the internal volume enclosed by the plasma membrane
define plasma membrane
the periphery of the cell, separating its contents from the surroundings
define cytosol
an aqueous solution, highly concentrated with enzymes and the RNA molecules that encode them, etcs., that makes up the cytoplasm
define genome
the complete set of genes, composed of DNA
what are the 6 simple elements that are essential to an organisms’s existence and function?
carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, sulfur
why are cellular organism carbon based?
bonding versatility
true or false? if false, correct the statement
Single bonds can rotate freely
true
freedom of rotation around single bonds allows for _____ _____ and different _____
freely interconvertible; conformations
what type of bonds do not have free rotation?
double bonds
what do the restricted rotation of double bonds produce?
isomers with different configurations
what do geometric isomers need to be interconverted? does anything need to break?
they require energy to break the double bonds
a atom that is attached to 4 different groups has a ….
chiral center
if a molecule is chiral it cannot be ______ on its mirror image
superimposable
all chiral molecules have at least how many chiral center?
1
find the word: something can be placed on top of another object and align exactly with it, so that no difference is noticeable
superimposable
what is the biggest difference between a molecule being chiral or achiral?
achiral molecules are superimposable
if a molecule is superimposable, it has to be ______
achiral
are enantiomers mirror images or not mirror images?
mirror images
are diastereomers mirror images or not mirror images?
not mirror images
what formula gives you the amount of stereoisomers based on the chiral carbons?
n chiral carbons gives 2^n stereoisomers
what functional group is this?
hydroxyl
what functional group is this?
methyl
what functional group is this?
carbonyl (ketone)
what functional group is this?
carboxyl
what functional group is this?
ester
what functional group is this?
phenyl
what functional group is this?
sulfhydryl
what functional group is this?
disulfide
what functional group is this?
amino
what functional group is this?
phosphoryl
what functional group is this?
phosphoanhydride
as an open system, what can a living organism exchange with its surroundings?
matter and energy
where do organisms derive energy from?
their surroundings
what is the first law of thermodynamics?
conservation of energy
i.e. energy cannot be created or destroyed but can change forms
what is the second law of thermodynamics?
the entropy of the universe increases
what is entropy?
a measure of a system’s disorder or randomness
what state will a spontaneous process proceed towards?
one with the least potential energy
does the disorder in the universe increase or decrease in a spontaneous process?
increase
what does thermodynamics ultimately tell us?
if a reaction is possible and whether it will occur spontaneously