Baby Chemistry
What does the mass number of an element tell you about the particles that element contains?
Mass number = # of protons + # of neutrons
Is water more dense in liquid or solid form?
Liquid
Organic chemistry is the study of compounds that contain what element? How many and what type of bonds does this element prefer to make?
Carbon; 4; covalent
What is the monomer of a carbohydrate?
Monosaccharide
What are the monomers of polypeptides? Nucleic acids?
Polypeptides = amino acids
Nucleic acids = nucleotides
How do you determine the number of electrons total in a neutral atom?
# of electrons = # of protons
What property of water explains the attraction between water molecules that allows them to "stick together"?
Cohesion
What is the only hydrophobic functional group?
Methyl
What type of bond connects carbohydrate monomers?
Glycosidic
Give one function of proteins
Almost everything - structural support, defense, storage, transport, communication, movement, catalysis
What is a species with the same number of protons but a different number of neutrons from its parent atom called?
Isotope
What property of water gives it a high heat of vaporization and why?
H bonds! In order to raise temp of water to turn it into gas, H bonds must be broken which requires extra energy
Which three functional groups are commonly found in their ionic forms in biological systems?
Amino, carboxyl, phosphate
What are the three main components of a triglyceride?
(1) 3 fatty acid chains connected to (2) a glycerol molecule via (3) an ester linkage
Cysteine contains a sulfhydryl group in its side chain. Does this make it hydrophilic or hydrophobic? Why?
Hydrophilic; sulfur makes polar covalent bond with hydrogen
What are the three atoms most commonly found participating in polar covalent bonds in biological systems?
Oxygen, nitrogen, and sulfur
How does adding base to solution affect [H+] and pH?
Decreases [H+] and increases pH
How do geometric isomers differ?
In the way their atoms are arranged about a double bond
What is the carbohydrate energy storage molecule in plants? In animals?
Plants - starch
Animals - glycogen
What is a polypeptide's tertiary structure based on?
3D shape produced by side chain interactions
How does a hydrogen bond form?
Between a partially positive hydrogen (i.e. one that is bonded to an electronegative atom) and a partially negative atom (usually O, N, or S)
How does a buffer affect [H+] after an acid is added to solution? Does this prevent an increase or decrease in pH?
Which functional group can function as a base and why?
Amino because it can accept H+
Why are unsaturated fats liquid at room temperature while saturated fats are solid?
Kink in unsaturated fatty acid tail due to double bond makes it so that the molecules can't pack together as tightly and thus have a harder time solidifying
List three differences between RNA and DNA
Sugar used (RNA - ribose vs DNA - deoxyribose), bases used (RNA uses uracil instead of thymine), stability/lifespan (DNA more stable and long-lived), number of strands (RNA - single vs DNA - double)