Biochem PART I

Question 1

QUESTION 1
-What is a polymer?

Answer 1

a large molecule made up of smaller chemical units called monomers

Question 2

QUESTION 1
-What are examples of natural polymers?

Answer 2

silk, hair, proteins, DNA

Question 3

QUESTION 1
-What does the word poly mean?
-What does the word mer mean?

Answer 3

-Many
-Part
(many parts)

Question 4

QUESTION 2: biopolymers vs. synthetic polymers
-Which polymer is man-made?
-Which one is naturally occurring?

Answer 4

-synthetic polymers
-biopolymers

Question 5

QUESTION 2: biopolymers vs. synthetic polymers
-What two things do biopolymers have?
-What do these things determine?

Answer 5

-curvature & specific side groups
-their physical properties & biological functions

Question 6

QUESTION 3: What is meant by the chain direction of a polymer?
-Chain direction refers to the…

Answer 6

-orientation or sequence of repeating units (monomers) along the polymer backbone

Question 7

QUESTION 3
-Peptide bonds form in what direction?

Answer 7

N to C direction

Question 8

QUESTION 3
-The DNA chain runs in what direction?
-Where is the phosphate group?
-Where is the hydroxyl group?

Answer 8

-5’ to 3’
-5’
-3’

Question 9

QUESTION 4: What is the basic chemical makeup of the backbone of a protein, DNA, or RNA chain?
-Protein backbone consists of what?
-What are they linked by?

Answer 9

-repeated amino acid units
-peptide bonds

Question 10

QUESTION 4: What is the basic chemical makeup of the backbone of a protein, DNA, or RNA chain?
-DNA backbone is made up of what?

Answer 10

-Sugar-phosphate deoxyribose with bases A, T, C, G

Question 11

QUESTION 4: What is the basic chemical makeup of the backbone of a protein, DNA, or RNA chain?
-RNA backbone is made up of what?

Answer 11

-Sugar phosphate ribose with bases A, U, C, G

Question 12

QUESTION 5: What is meant by a chemical variable and how do chemical variables contribute to biomolecular structure?
-A chemical variable is a chemical feature that can do what?
-What three things does this influence?

Answer 12

-vary between molecules
-structure, properties, and interactions

Question 13

QUESTION 5: What is meant by a chemical variable and how do chemical variables contribute to biomolecular structure?
-What 3 things do chemical variables include?

Answer 13

1. Bond lengths between atoms
2. Valence angles between bonds
3. Torsion angles about rotatable (single) bonds

Question 14

QUESTION 6: What features of chemical structure protect the genetic message of DNA?
-What is the main one that protects it?

Answer 14

The sugar phosphate backbone on the outside

Question 15

QUESTION 6: What features of chemical structure protect the genetic message of DNA?
-What does the sugar phosphate backbone on the outside provide?
-What does it protect?

Answer 15

-A deformable barrier
-the genetic information carried with the base side groups

Question 16

QUESTION 7: What happens to DNA as it is copied into RNA?
-What is the first step?
-What happens to the RNA polymerase after that?

Answer 16

-the DNA is pulled apart by an enzyme
-it melts the DNA & copies the template strand into RNA during transcription

Question 17

QUESTION 8: What is the name of the process during which DNA is copied into RNA?

Answer 17

Transcription

Question 18

QUESTION 9: What is a Watson-Crick base pair?
-It refers to the specific pairing between what?

Answer 18

nitrogenous bases in DNA and RNA

Question 19

QUESTION 9: What is a Watson-Crick base pair?
-Describe what pairs with what in both DNA and RNA

Answer 19

-In DNA, A pairs with T and G pairs with C
-In RNA,A pairs with U and G pairs with C

Question 20

QUESTION 10: Watson-Crick base pairs are sometimes described as isomorphous. What does this term mean?
-it means that base pairs fit into what?

Answer 20

the same space & have the same overall size, shape, and geometry
-A-T (or A-U) & G-C pairs are isomorphous

Question 21

QUESTION 11: What is the Protein Data Bank?
-An international repository of ____ ____ ____
-Where is it headquartered at?

Answer 21

-3D molecular structures
-Rutgers!

Question 22

QUESTION 11: What is the Protein Data Bank?
-What does the Protein Data Bank store?

Answer 22

information about the structures of proteins & other biomolecules

Question 23

QUESTION 12: What information is available through the Protein Data Bank?
-It stores ____ coordinates of ____-____ atoms

Answer 23

-atomic
-non-hydrogen

Question 24

QUESTION 13: What is a polyelectrolyte?
-It is a polymer that has what?
-What kind of charge does DNA have & why?

Answer 24

-a charge (like DNA)
-negative bc of its phosphate groups

Question 25

**QUESTION 14**: *Why is DNA a polyelectrolyte?* -Because of its what?

Answer 25

phosphate groups that have a negative charge

Question 26

**QUESTION 15**: *What is a counterion?* -An ion that does what? -Example?

Answer 26

-that balances an oppositely charged ion -Na+ is the counterion to Cl- in NaCl

Question 27

**QUESTION 16**: *What is meant by chirality?* -It refers to a property of a molecule that what? -What things are chiral in DNA and RNA?

Answer 27

-CANNOT be superimposed on its mirror image -the phosphate group and sugar ring