Chemistry and Water
This type of bond involves the unequal sharing of electrons, leading to partial charges
Polar Covalent Bond
These are the three tenets of the Cell Theory
All organisms are made of cells; the cell is the fundamental unit of life; cells come from pre-existing cells
This organelle is responsible for the "recycling" of cellular components using acidic enzymes
Lysosome
What is the First Law of Thermodynamics?
Energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed
These are the four main classes of organic macromolecules found in all living organisms
Proteins, Nucleic Acids, Carbohydrates, and Lipids
If Solution A has a pH of 4 and Solution B has a pH of 7, Solution A has this many times more H+ ions
10^3 x more H+ ions
This term describes a molecule, like a phospholipid, that has both a hydrophilic and a hydrophobic region
Amphipathic
This is the specific path a protein takes if it is destined to be secreted from the cell
Rough ER -> Vesicle -> Golgi -> Vesicle -> Plasma Membrane
A chemical reaction with a negative DeltaG is called this.
Exergonic/Spontaneous
This 1953 experiment demonstrated that amino acids and other organic molecules could form spontaneously under conditions similar to those of early Earth.
The Miller-Urey Experiment
This property of water allows it to "climb" up the xylem of a tree against gravity
Adhesion and Cohesion/Capillary Action
This form of transport uses a concentration gradient of one molecule to power the movement of another molecule against its own gradient
Secondary Active Transport
Contrast the roles of the Rough ER and the Smooth ER
Rough ER synthesizes transmembrane/secreted proteins; Smooth ER synthesizes lipids and detoxifies.
This is the "Universal Energy Currency" of the cell; describe its general structure.
ATP; Adenosine (adenine + ribose) and three phosphate groups
Between a saturated fatty acid and an unsaturated fatty acid of the same length, this one will have a higher melting temperature.
Saturated fatty acid—because they are straight and pack tightly together, increasing van der Waals forces
These are the two most electronegative atoms we focus on in biological molecule
Oxygen and Nitrogen
Compare the effects of Saturated vs. Unsaturated fatty acid tails on membrane fluidity
Saturated tails are straight/pack tightly (less fluid); Unsaturated tails have kinks/double bonds (more fluid)
How does the Golgi Apparatus "know" where to send a protein?
It adds chemical "tags" or modifications—like sugars—that act as sorting signals
Define Energetic Coupling and give one cellular example.
Using an exergonic reaction like ATP hydrolysis to drive an endergonic one, like the Sodium-Potassium pump
This is the specific structural difference between a triacylglycerol and a phospholipid
A triacylglycerol has three fatty acid tails attached to glycerol, while a phospholipid has two fatty acid tails and a phosphate group.
Explain why ice floats in terms of hydrogen bonding and density.
H-bonds stabilize into a crystal lattice that pushes molecules further apart than in liquid water, making it less dense
If you place a cell in a solution with a higher solute concentration than the cytoplasm, what is the tonicity of the solution and which way will water move?
Hypertonic; water will move out of the cell.
This theory explains why mitochondria and chloroplasts have their own DNA and double membranes
How does a noncompetitive inhibitor decrease the rate of an enzyme-catalyzed reaction?
It binds to an allosteric site, changing the shape of the active site so the substrate can no longer bind.
Why are the "weak" van der Waals forces so critically important to the structure of a cell membrane?
While individual van der Waals forces are weak, the constant sum of thousands of these interactions between tightly packed fatty acid tails provides the stability and integrity of the lipid bilayer