The Variety of Life Flashcards
Explain why people living at high altitudes have more red blood cells than people at low altitudes
- More haemoglobin
- So can load/pick up more oxygen (in lungs)
Name some features of starch and explain how they enable it to act as a storage substance
- Helical/spiral/coiled –> Compact
- Insoluble –> Prevents osmosis/doesn’t affect water potential
- Large molecule/long chain –> Does not leave the cell
Explain how the structure of cellulose is related to its role in plant cell walls
- Long/straight/unbranched chains of glucose
- Joined by hydrogen bonds
- Form (micro)fibrils/(macro)fibrils
- Provides rigidity/strength/support
Describe how haemoglobin loads and unloads oxygen in the body
- Loading of Oxygen at high partial pressures of Oxygen
- In lungs haemoglobin is (almost) fully saturated/has high affinity for O₂
- Unloads Oxygen at low partial pressures of Oxygen
- Unloading linked to higher Carbon Dioxide concentration
Explain why hydrogen bonds are important in cellulose molecules
- Holds cellulose molecues together/forms cross links between chains
- Providing strength/rigidity (to cellulose/cell wall)
- Hydogen bonds are strong in large numbers
Explain why starch has a spiral shape
Compact/occupies small space/tightly packed
Explain the relationship between surface area to volume ratio of mammals and their Oxygen disassociation curve
- Smaller mammal has grater surface area to volume ratio
- Smaller mammal/larger SA:V ratio = more heat loss
- Smaller mammal/larger SA:V ration has greater rate of respiration
- Oxygen required for respiration
- (haemoglobin) releases more Oxygen/has a lower affinity for O₂
Define ‘quaternary structure’
More than one polypeptide chain
Describe how haemoglobin has differing chemical structures
Different primary structure/amino acids/different number of polypeptide chains
What is the function of a chloroplast
- Absorbs/traps/uses light
- For photosynthesis
- Produces carbohydrates/sugars/lipids/protein
Describe how Oxygen in loaded, unloaded and transported in the blood
- Haemoglobin carries O₂/has a high affinity for O₂/Oxyhaemoglobin
- In red blood cells
- Loading/uptake/association in lungs
- At high pO₂
- Unloads/disassociates/releases to respiring cells/tissues
- At low pO₂
- Unloading linked to higher Carbon Dioxide (concentration)
Explain why the Oxygen dissociation curve shifts to the right during vigorous exercise
- Lower affinity for O₂/releases more O₂/O₂ is released quicker/ O₂ unloads more readily
- To muscles/cells/tissue
- For high/rapid respiration
How does an increase in tissue respiration affect the oxygen disassociation curve of haemoglobin?
- Increase in/more Carbon Dioxide
- Curve moves to the right/depressed
