Unit 1 - Biochemistry in the Cell Flashcards
Distinctive Properties of Living Systems
- complicated and highly organized
- serve functional purposes
- actively engaged in energy transformations
- capacity for self-replication
Organisms capture energy in the form of?
special molecules
Organisms capture energy in the form of special molecules such as?
o ATP – Adenine Triphosphate
o NADPH – Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide Phosphate
The Fidelity of Self-Replication Resides Ultimately in the Chemical Nature of?
DNA
DNA: Two complementary polynucleotide chains running in opposite directions can pair through _______ bonding between their __________ bases.
hydrogen
nitrogenous
DNA: Their complementary ___________ sequences give rise to structural complementarity.
nucleotide
Formation by e- pair sharing makes ___, ___, ___, and ___ appropriate for the support of life.
H, C, N, O
H, O, C and N make up ___% of atoms in the human body
99
What property unites H, O, C and N and renders these atoms so appropriate to the chemistry of life?
Their ability to form covalent bonds by electron-pair sharing
Hydrogen, Oxygen, Carbon, and Nitrogen percentage in the human body
Hydrogen: 63%
Oxygen: 25.5%
Carbon: 9.5%
Nitrogen: 1.4%
Units for Building Complex Structures
Simple Molecules
4 Simple molecules
o Metabolites
o Macromolecules and Membranes
o Organelles
o The Unit of Life is the Cell
Structural Organization of Complex Biomolecules
- inorganic precursors
- metabolites
- building blocks
- macromolecules
- supramolecular complexes
- organelles
- the cell
T/F:
Macromolecules and their building blocks have a “sense” or directionality and are informational.
True
Biomolecules have characteristic ______-dimensional architecture
three
______ forces maintain biological structure and determine biomolecular interactions
Weak
What builds proteins?
amino acids
What builds polysaccharides?
sugars
T/F:
Weak forces profoundly influence the structures and behavior of SELECTED biological molecules.
False
all biological molecules
Nucleic acids are polymers of?
nucleotides
hold atoms together so that molecules are formed
covalent bonds
T/F:
Weak forces create interactions that are CONSISTENT under physiological conditions
False;
constantly forming and breaking
Energies of weak forces range from _____ to ______
0.4 to 30 kJ/mol
Weak forces include?
- van der Waals interactions
- Hydrogen bonds
- Ionic interactions
mediated by weak chemical forces
Biomolecular recognition
Give the values of strength in kJ/mol
* Van der Waals Interactions:
* Hydrogen Bonds:
* Ionic Interactions:
* Hydrophobic Interactions:
- Van der Waals Interactions: 0.4-4.0 kJ/mol
- Hydrogen Bonds: 12-30 kJ/mol
- Ionic Interactions: 20 kJ/mol
- Hydrophobic Interactions: <40 kJ/mol
T/F:
Weak forces RESTRICT organisms to a narrow range of environmental conditions.
True
principle that guides the biomolecular interactions that characterize the living state
Molecular Recognition Through Structural Complementarity
A type of interaction where strength depends on the relative size of the atoms or molecules and the distance between them
Van der Waals interactions