Polymers and Life

Question 1

What is a phenol group

Answer 1

A benzene ring with an -OH attached

Question 2

Carbonate reaction with carboxylic acids

Answer 2

Acid-base reaction in which the CO2- is the base. H+ is the acid and carbon dioxide is formed

Question 3

Phenol and alcohol reaction with carbonate

Answer 3

Do not have a large enough concentration of H+ ions to make carbon dioxide so the reaction will not fizz

Question 4

Reaction which breaks down an ester

Answer 4

Hydrolysis, the two types are acid and alkali

Question 5

Naming esters

Answer 5

The ending -oate comes from the parent acid which is attached to the carbon in the ester linkage, the ending -yl comes from the other substance used which is attached to the oxygen in the ester linkage

Question 6

Amine function groups and properties

Answer 6

• NH2 group

- Lone pair of electrons on the nitrogen allows amines to act as bases

Question 7

Amides functional group

Answer 7

• CONH-

- Formed by reacting an amine with either a carboxylic acid or a acyl chloride

Question 8

Acid hydrolysis

Answer 8

The ester linkage breaks down and the NH2 group becomes NH3+

Question 9

Alkaline hydrolysis

Answer 9

The ester linkage breaks down and the COOH group becomes COO-

Question 10

Zwitterions

Answer 10

A molecule which contains both negatively and positively charge groups. They are often used in buffer solutions

Question 11

Chiral centres and optical isomers

Answer 11

A chiral centre is a carbon atom with four different groups bonded to it.

Optical isomers are molecules with the same chemical structure, but they are mirror images of themselves around the chiral centre.

This means they are non-superimposable

Question 12

Enantiomers

Answer 12

The different optical isomers are called enantiomers

Question 13

The three levels of protein structure

Answer 13

Primary - the order of the amino acids

Secondary - the coiling of the primary structure to form a helix or a pleated sheet

Tertiary - the folding of the secondary structure

Question 14

Bonds in the tertiary structure

Answer 14

Instantaneous dipole-induced dipole bonds between non-polar side chains

Hydrogen bonds between between the peptide links

Ionic bonds between ionisable side chains

Covalent bonds between when -SH groups oxidise to -S-S- groups

Question 15

What are enzymes

Answer 15

High specific catalysts which are sensitive to pH and temperature and are subject to competitive inhibition

Question 16

What are inhibitors

Answer 16

Molecules which fit into the active site of an enzyme but cannot be catalysed

Question 17

What is a pharmacophore

Answer 17

The part of a molecule which gives it a pharmaceutical abilities

Question 18

What is a nucleotide

Answer 18

A sugar, phosphate, and a base bonded together

Question 19

What are the four bases and which bonds with which

Answer 19

Cytosine bonds with Guanine via three hydrogen bonds

Adenine bonds with Thymine via two hydrogen bonds

Question 20

Transcription

Answer 20

• A section of the DNA unzips
• RNA nucleotides join together and create a complimentary strand to the unzipped DNA
• The mRNA strand leaves the DNA
• The DNA zips back up

Question 21

Translation

Answer 21

• mRNA from transcription enters the ribosomes
• tRNA joins to the RNA via the anti-codon
• The tRNA joins different amino acids together creating a protein chain