3.1 Chemical Elements and Water

Question 1

What is sulfur’s example role in plants?

Answer 1

in some amino acids

Question 2

What is sulfur’s example role in animals?

Answer 2

in some amino acids

Question 3

What is sulfur’s example role in prokaryotes?

Answer 3

in some amino acids

Question 4

What is calcium’s example role in plants?

Answer 4

co-factor in some enzymes

Question 5

What is calcium’s example role in animals?

Answer 5

co-factor in some enzymes and component of bones

Question 6

What is calcium’s example role in prokaryotes?

Answer 6

co-factor in some enzymes

Question 7

What is phosphorus’ example role in plants?

Answer 7

phosphate groups in ATP

Question 8

What is phosphorus’ example role in animals?

Answer 8

phosphate groups in ATP

Question 9

What is phosphorus’ example role in prokaryotes?

Answer 9

phosphate groups in ATP

Question 10

What is iron’s example role in plants?

Answer 10

in cytochromes

Question 11

What is iron’s example role in animals?

Answer 11

in cytochromes and hemoglobin

Question 12

What is iron’s example role in prokaryotes?

Answer 12

in cytochromes

Question 13

What is sodium’s example role in plants?

Answer 13

in membrane function

Question 14

What is sodium’s example role in animals?

Answer 14

in membrane function and sending nerve impulses

Question 15

What is sodium’s example role in prokaryotes?

Answer 15

in membrane function

Question 16

What is cohesion?

Answer 16

water stick’s to itself

Question 17

What is adhesion?

Answer 17

water stick’s to other things

Question 18

How does water moderate temperature?

Answer 18

absorbing heat from air that is warmer and releasing the stored heat to air that is cooler

Question 19

What don’t oceans and lakes freeze?

Answer 19

ice floats

Question 20

What is the overall function of sulfur?

Answer 20

Found in certain amino acids (cysteine and methionine), allowing proteins to form disulphide bonds

Question 21

What is the overall function of calcium?

Answer 21

Found in bones and teeth, also involved in neurotransmitter release in synapses

Question 22

What is the overall function of phosphorus?

Answer 22

Component of nucleic acids and cell membranes

Question 23

What is the overall function of iron?

Answer 23

Found in hemoglobin (animals), allowing for oxygen transport

Question 24

What is the overall function of sodium?

Answer 24

Involved in the generation of nerve impulses in neurons

Question 25

What are the 3 thermal properties of water and their purpose?

Answer 25

Water has a high specific heat capacity (the measure of energy required to raise the temperature of 1 g of substance by 1°C) Water has a high heat of vaporisation (amount of energy absorbed per gram as it changes from a liquid to a gas / vapour) Water has a high heat of fusion (amount of energy required to be lost to change 1 g of liquid to 1 g of solid at 0°C) These properties occur as a result of the extensive hydrogen bonding between water molecules - this allows water to absorb considerable amounts of energy with little change in form (H-bonds need to be broken first)

Question 26

Why do cohesion and adhesion occur?

Answer 26

These properties occur as a result of the polarity of a water molecule and its ability to form hydrogen bonds with appropriate molecules

Question 27

Why does water have its solvent properties?

Answer 27

This occurs because the polar attraction of large quantities of water molecules can sufficiently weaken intramolecular forces (such as ionic bonds) and result in the dissociation of the atoms

Question 28

What can water dissolve?

Answer 28

many organic and inorganic substances that contain electronegative atoms (such as fluorine, oxygen and nitrogen)

Question 29

Why is water important to photosynthesis?

Answer 29

Water is transparent, allowing light to pass through it

Question 30

Where is the cytoplasm located and what reactions occur there?

Answer 30

fluid inside cell but outside organelles; glycolysis/protein synthesis reactions

Question 31

Where is the nucleoplasm located and what reactions occur there?

Answer 31

fluid inside nuclear membrane; DNA replication/transcription

Question 32

Where is the stroma located and what reactions occur there?

Answer 32

fluid inside chloroplast membrane; light-independent reactions of photosynthesis

Question 33

Where is the blood plasm located and what reactions occur there?

Answer 33

fluid in arteries, veins, and capillaries; loading and unloading of respiratory gases/clotting