2.1 Molecules to Metabolism

Question 1

Give an example of a compound that is produced by living organisms but also can be artificially synthesised?

Answer 1

Urea. It is produced by the liver as a way of removing the nitrogen from amino acids, when there are excess amino acids in the body.
Chemical reactions can also make it, it is a different reaction but the urea gained is identical.
Urea
Ammonium + carbon dioxide = ammonium carbonate = urea + water.
This urea is used as a nitrogen fertiliser for crops.

Question 2

Where is urea produced?

Answer 2

The liver.

Question 3

What did the artificial synthesis of urea prove?

Answer 3

That the vitalism theory was incorrect. The theory of vitalism is that there is some other worldly force to creating something, that is different from purely chemical or physical forces. But when urea was synthesised just using chemical or physical means it proved vitalism wrong.

Question 4

Why do carbon compounds have such complex structures?

Answer 4

Because they can form 4 bonds.

Question 5

What are carbohydrates made from?

Answer 5

Carbon, Hydrogen and oxygen. There are always two hydrogen molecules to one oxygen.

Question 6

What are lipids?

Answer 6

They are a class of molecules that are insoluble in water.

Question 7

What are proteins?

Answer 7

They are composed of chains of amino acids. They all contain oxygen hydrogen, carbon and nitrogen.

Question 8

What are nucleic acids?

Answer 8

chains of subunits called nucleotides, which contain carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and phosphorus. There are 2 types ribonucleic and deribonucleic.

Question 9

What is an amino group?

Answer 9

NH2

Question 10

What does ribose look like?

Answer 10

An oxygen and 4 carbons make a ring, then the 5th sticks up on the 4th.

Question 11

What does glucose A look like?

Answer 11

DDUD.

Question 12

What does glucose B look like?

Answer 12

UDUD

Question 13

What does a fatty acid look like?

Answer 13

A chain of CH2 attached to a COOH, carboxyl group.

Question 14

What does an amino acid look like?

Answer 14

An amine group (NH2) one end, a COOH the other and a hydrogen pointing down from the middle carbon and an R group pointing up from the middle carbon.

Question 15

What can sulphur be present in?

Answer 15

Proteins but not lipids or carbohydrates.

Question 16

What is the ratio of hydrogen and oxygen in a carbohydrate?

Answer 16

2;1 hydrogen to oxygen.

Question 17

What is metabolism?

Answer 17

Metabolism is the web of all the enzyme catalysed reactions in a cell or organism. Metabolism is the sum of all reaction that occur in an organism.

Question 18

What is anabolism?

Answer 18

Anabolism is the synthesis of complex molecules from simpler molecules including the formation of macromolecules from monomers by condensation reactions. 
E.g. 
- Protein synthesis using ribosomes
- DNA synthesis during replication
- Photosynthesis

Question 19

What is catabolism?

Answer 19

Catabolism is the breakdown of complex molecules into simpler molecules including the hydrolysis of macromolecules into monomers.

e. g.
- Digestion of food in the mouth, stomach, or intestine.