Phosphorous Containing Compounds

Question 1

What is phosphoric acid?

Answer 1

inorganic acid with the potential to donate three protons

Question 2

At physiological pH, what form is phosphoric acid mainly in?

Answer 2

anionic form

Question 3

What is phosphate also known as?

Answer 3

orthophosphate

Question 4

What bond links two orthophosphates together?

Answer 4

anhydride linkage

Question 5

What are the three reasons that phosphate anhydride bonds store so much energy?

Answer 5

1. when phosphates are linked together their negative charges repel each other
2. orthophosphate has more resonance forms thus a lower free energy
3. orthophophate has a more favorable interaction with water than linked phosphates

Question 6

What are nucleotides?

Answer 6

building blocks of nucleic acids (DNA and RNA)

Question 7

What does each nucleotide consist of?

Answer 7

ribose or deoxyribose sugar, purine or pyrimidine base, and phosphate units

Question 8

What are the main roles of ATP?

Answer 8

cellular metabolism and RNA precursor

Question 9

What is the universal energy storage molecule?

Answer 9

ATP