Unit 1: Chemistry of Life

Question 1

What is an element?

Answer 1

A substance that cannot be broken down into other substances by chemical reactions.

Question 2

How many naturally occuring elements are there?

Answer 2

100

Question 3

What are the 4 elements most important to life?

Answer 3

Carbon
Hydrogen
Oxygen
Nitrogen

Question 4

What is a non-polar covalent bond?

Answer 4

A covalent bond between atoms in which the electrons are equally shared

Question 5

What is a covalent bond?

Answer 5

A bond between atoms sharing electrons

Question 6

What is a polar covalent bond?

Answer 6

A covalent bond in which the electrons are shared unequally (spending more time with one atom than another). This causes the other atom to become more electronegative than the other.

Question 7

What is a hydrogen bond?

Answer 7

A weak, intermolecular bond between a hydrogen atom in one molecule and an electronegative atom/molecule. This kind of bonding is responsible for many of the properties of water.

Question 8

True or False: Water is nonpolar.

Answer 8

False; Water is a polar molecule. The oxygen is (mostly) negative, and the hydrogen is (mostly) positive.

Question 9

What is cohesion?

Answer 9

Water molecules loosely sticking together. (Responsible for water’s liquid state)

Question 10

What is adhesion?

Answer 10

Water molecules sticking to other substances.

Question 11

What are the properties of water?

Answer 11

1) Hydrogen bonding
2) Cohesion
3) Adhesion
4) High specific heat
5) Solid < dense than liquid
6) The “universal” solvent

Question 12

What does it mean for water to have high specific heat?

Answer 12

Water absorbs a lot of heat before there is enough to break the hydrogen bonds, allowing it to evaporate. This allows for a moderating climate, homeostasis of the body’s temperature, and evaporative cooling.

Question 13

True or False: Water is known as the universal solvent

Answer 13

True; Water is capable of dissolving ionic compounds and many molecules.

Question 14

Why is carbon the most common element in nature?

Answer 14

Because it is naturally capable of forming large, complex and stable molecules

Question 15

What are functional groups?

Answer 15

Covalent combinations of atoms that impart specific properties

Question 16

What is a hydroxyl group, and what properties does it have?

Answer 16

A hydroxyl group is a bonded OH.

Its polar, as well as hydrophilic, and forms hydrogen bonds with other chemicals.

Question 17

What is a carboxyl group, and what properties does it have?

Answer 17

A carboxyl group is a bonded COOH.

It’s acidic, and donates a proton.

Question 18

What is an amino group, and what properties does it have?

Answer 18

A bonded NHsub2, or NHsub3 +.

It constitutes the base of an amino acid. It’s basic, and takes a proton.

Question 19

What is a sulfhydryl group, and what properties does it have?

Answer 19

A sulfhydryl group is a bonded SH.

It stabilizes proteins, helping to create strong bonds within the protein.

Question 20

What are the 4 big macromolecule groups?

Answer 20

Carbohydrates, lipids, proteins and nucleic acids.

Question 21

What are some traits of carbohydrates?

Answer 21

A) Made of sugar monomers

B) Used to store short-term energy

Question 22

What are some traits of lipids?

Answer 22

A) Lipids are made up of fatty acids, and because fatty acids don’t really count as monomers, lipids are not true polymers
B) Lipids are used in cell membranes, and to store long-term energy. (think fat)

Question 23

What are some traits of nucleic acids?

Answer 23

Made up of nucleotides, and encode important information (like genes)

Question 24

What are some traits of proteins?

Answer 24

A) The building blocks of the body
B) Made of amino acids
C) Has four levels of structure

Question 25

What determines function in biology?

Answer 25

Form; Form determines function.

Question 26

What are the four levels of protein structure?

Answer 26

Primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary

Question 27

What is the primary structure of a protein?

Answer 27

The sequence (order) of amino acids in a polypeptide chain.

Question 28

What is the secondary structure of a protein?

Answer 28

The coils and bonds of a protein that result from the various bonds between amino acids in the polypeptide chain.

Question 29

What is the tertiary structure of the protein?

Answer 29

The overall three dimensional structure of an individual polypeptide chain.

Question 30

What is the quaternary structure of a protein?

Answer 30

The final, overall structure of the protein, including all the polypeptide chains thereof.