Topic 3: Biomolecules

Question 1

What is a structural isomer?

Answer 1

Different structure but same formula

Question 2

What is a geometric (stereoisomerism) isomer?

Answer 2

Same formula but cis and trans

Question 3

What is an optical isomer?

Answer 3

Non-superimposable mirror images of same molecule (enantiomers)

Question 4

What functional groups do sugar molecules contain?

Answer 4

Alcohol (OH) and Aldehyde (COH)

Question 5

Are sugar molecules hydrophobic or hydrophilic

Answer 5

Strongly Hydrophilic

Question 6

What isomers can sugar have?

Answer 6

Structural, stereo and optical

Question 7

What functional groups do Nucleotides contain?

Answer 7

Alcohol (OH), Amine (NH2), Phosphate (PO4-), Purine, furanose

Question 8

Are Nucleotides hydrophobic or hydrophilic?

Answer 8

The purine is hydrophobic but over all the molecule is hydrophilic

Question 9

What isomers can Nucleotides have?

Answer 9

stereo, at the 1’ and 4’ position

Question 10

What functional groups do Amino acids contain?

Answer 10

Carboxylic acid (COOH), Amine (NH2)

Question 11

Are Amino acids hydrophobic or hydrophilic?

Answer 11

Hydrophilic

Question 12

What isomers can an Amino acid have?

Answer 12

Optical, chiral centre at an alpha-carbon

Question 13

What functional groups do Fatty acids contain?

Answer 13

Carboxylic acid (COOH), alkene (C=C), Alkyl (C-C)

Question 14

Are Fatty acids hydrophilic or hydrophobic?

Answer 14

Strongly hydrophobic

Question 15

What isomers can Fatty acids have?

Answer 15

Stereo at C=C (cis and trans), also structural isomers.

Question 16

What is an ionic bond?

Answer 16

When two atoms have so unequal interactions, the two result in oppositely charged ions called Cations (positive) and Anions (negative). The attraction between Cations and Anions is what causes an Ionic bond.

Question 17

What orbital overlaps in a covalent bond?

Answer 17

1s

Question 18

What is a covalent bond?

Answer 18

The sharing of a pair of valence electrons by two atoms.

Question 19

What happens when atoms increase in electronegativity?

Answer 19

The higher the electronegativity the stronger an atoms pulls shared electrons towards itself.

Question 20

In a covalent bond of the same element electrons shared equally because ?
Is this polar or non polar?

Answer 20

They have the same electronegativity
- Non-polar covalent bond.

Question 21

What is a polar covalent bond?

Answer 21

If the electrons in the bond are not shared equally

Question 22

What is “half-life”?

Answer 22

Half-life is the time is takes for 50% of the parent isotope to decay into the daughter isotope.

Question 23

Is Half-life a fixed rate?

Answer 23

Yes