Functional Groups and Polarity
What makes a molecule polar?
What is the uneven sharing of electrons due to differences in electronegativity?
What are isomers?
What are molecules with the same molecular formula but different structures?
What are the monomers of carbohydrates?
What are monosaccharides?
What part of the ATP molecule stores the most potential energy?
What type of bond connects amino acids in a polypeptide?
What is a peptide bond?
What type of isomer differs in the arrangement of atoms around a double bond?
What are geometric (cis-trans) isomers?
What type of bond connects monosaccharides into polysaccharides?
What are glycosidic linkages?
How do enzymes speed up chemical reactions?
What is by lowering the activation energy?
What type of bond stabilizes secondary structures like alpha helices and beta sheets?
What are hydrogen bonds between backbone atoms?
Why are molecules containing carboxyl and amino groups usually soluble in water?
Cis and trans fatty acids have the same molecular formula, but their shapes and properties differ. Describe the difference in their structure and how this affects their behavior in biological systems.
What is cis-isomers have hydrogen atoms on the same side of the double bond (can cause a bend on the chain, increasing the fluidity of the membrane), whereas trans-isomers have hydrogens on opposite sides (making the chain straighter and tightly packed, making the membrane less fluid and probably more unhealthy)?
Explain how the saturation level of fatty acids affects membrane fluidity
What is that unsaturated fatty acids (with double bonds) increase fluidity; saturated fatty acids make the membrane more rigid due to stacking?
Differentiate between exergonic and endergonic reactions.
What is exergonic reactions release energy, while endergonic reactions require energy?
Explain how hydrophobic and hydrophilic interactions determine folding?
What is the hydrophobic effect that describes this process, where hydrophobic amino acids will cluster on the interior to avoid water, while hydrophilic amino acids will do the opposite?
Identify the functional groups present in this molecule: CH3-CH2-COOH
What is a methyl group (-CH3) and a carboxyl group (-COOH)?
Glucose and fructose (FG will draw on the board) are both C6H12O6. What type of isomers are they?
What are structural isomers?
Compare the structure and function of phospholipids (what makes them up?) and steroids.
What is phospholipids are made up of a glycerol, 2 fatty acids, and 1 phosphate group? Its function relates to cell membrane permeability, meaning it regulates what comes in and out of a cell. Steroids are made up of carbons and hydrogens in a four-membered ring (minimum of 17 carbons), and their function is to act as a messenger (signaling molecule) for different processes across the body.
Why does an enzyme lose activity when exposed to high heat or extreme pH, and what specific level(s) of protein structures are most affected?
What is heat and pH changes disrupt hydrogen bonds, ionic interactions, and hydrophobic interactions, causing the enzyme to denature (losing its tertiary and secondary (sometimes) structure)?
Two amino acids, serine and leucine (FG will draw), are placed in water. One dissolves easily, and the other clumps together. Identify which is which and why.
What is serine dissolves because it has a polar hydroxyl side chain that forms hydrogen bonds with water, whereas leucine clumps because its nonpolar hydrocarbon side chain is hydrophobic and avoids water?
Explain why the carboxyl group is more polar than the carbonyl group, even though both contain an oxygen double-bonded to carbon. Include how this difference affects solubility in water.
What is the carboxyl group contains both a carbonyl and a hydroxyl, allowing it to form hydrogen bonds as both a donor and an acceptor, making it highly polar and water-soluble? (whereas the carbonyl group can only act as a hydrogen bond acceptor)
Explain how enantiomers differ and why this difference matters in biological systems.
What are they mirror images of each other (non super-imposable); only one form fits enzymes, receptors, or other places of interactions (Ex. Thalidomide enantiomers, one causes defective limb growth in fetuses, and the other was a morning sickness drug)?
Compare the structure and function of starch and cellulose
What are they both are glucose polymers; starch is branched and used for energy storage, cellulose is linear and used for structure in plant cell walls?
Draw the ATP/ADP cycle on the board (clearly labeling the exergonic and endergonic portions of the cycle)
What is (FG will check the board)?
Explain how a drastic change in pH can alter the structure and function of a protein, using amino acid interactions as your reasoning (ie. use a specific example).
What is pH changes the ionization states (the charge) of side chains, disrupting ionic and hydrogen bonds that maintain protein shape (ex., lysine becomes protonated and now may not be able to have the space to interact via hydrogen bonding because of the addition of an extra hydrogen)?