Polymer Party Crashers
Which biomolecule contains nitrogen but no phosphorus, and may include sulfur?
What is a protein?
Which two life functions are directly dependent on enzymes?
What are metabolism and excretion?
Which level of organization contains both tissues and specialized structures but is not yet an organism?
What is an organ?
How does temperature below optimum affect enzyme activity?
What is slows down the reaction rate due to reduced molecular movement?
True or False: RNA is double-stranded and includes thymine.
False – RNA is single-stranded and uses uracil instead of thymine.
What is the difference in function between phospholipids and triglycerides in organisms?
What is phospholipids make up cell membranes; triglycerides store energy?
What happens to an organism that cannot maintain homeostasis?
What is it may become sick or die due to internal imbalance?
Which organ system is responsible for both communication and regulation via hormones?
What is the endocrine system?
Why can a change in pH denature an enzyme?
What is because excess H+ or OH− ions interfere with ionic and hydrogen bonds in the active site?
True or False: Proteins are made of peptide bonds formed during hydrolysis.
False – they form via condensation reactions, not hydrolysis.
Which part of a nucleotide forms the ‘backbone’ of DNA and RNA?
What is the sugar-phosphate group?
Explain why growth and metabolism are not always linked in multicellular organisms.
What is because energy may be used for repair or maintenance rather than growth?
Explain how a biome differs from an ecosystem.
What is a biome is a large geographic region with similar ecosystems (e.g., desert); ecosystems include biotic and abiotic factors in one area?
What happens when a competitive inhibitor is introduced to an enzyme-catalyzed reaction?
What is it binds to the active site, preventing substrate binding and slowing the reaction?
True or False: All living things use the same 4 types of biomolecules.
True – carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids are universal.
Why is cholesterol considered both a steroid and a lipid, and what is its function?
What is because it's hydrophobic with a steroid ring structure; it regulates membrane fluidity?
Describe how regulation and response interact in a predator-prey situation.
What is an animal responds to stimuli (danger), then regulates hormones and muscle actions to escape?
In terms of levels of organization, what would happen if a mutation affected cellular organelles in plant xylem tissue?
What is water transport would be impaired, affecting tissue function, organ function, and potentially the entire plant?
Explain why increasing substrate concentration cannot indefinitely increase enzyme activity.
What is once enzymes are saturated, the rate plateaus because all active sites are in use?
True or False: Enzymes increase activation energy to make reactions faster.
False – they lower the activation energy required.
Evaluate the impact of a single amino acid substitution on a protein’s tertiary structure.
What is it can change folding patterns, disrupting shape and function (e.g., sickle-cell anemia)?
Connect the function of excretion to the survival of cells in multicellular organisms.
What is excretion prevents waste accumulation that could interfere with cell processes?
Trace the path of a protein starting from DNA instructions through all biological levels until it impacts a population.
What is DNA in a cell → protein synthesized in tissues → affects organ (e.g., hormone) → affects organism behavior → alters reproduction/survival in population?
Compare the energy requirements and enzyme use in catabolic vs anabolic reactions.
What is catabolic reactions release energy and often require fewer enzymes; anabolic require ATP and more precise enzymatic control?
True or False: Glycogen is the polysaccharide used by plants to store energy.
False – glycogen is used by animals; plants use starch.