SHORT ANSWER 

 
1. What is a functional group? Then look at the following list of compounds and name any functional 
groups that are present in these molecules.(some molecules contain more than one) Also explain what 
properties these functional groups give to these compounds. For example, do they make the 
compound polar, nonpolar, acidic, basic, etc.. -glucose -general structure of an amino acid -fatty acids 
-nucleic acids. 
A functional group is a specific group of atoms or bonds within a compound that is responsible for the characteristic 
chemical reactions and properties of that compound. 
Glucose:​In the straight chain form, the functional group for C-1 is an aldehyde group.   
C-2 to C-6 are alcohol groups, and in the cyclic form, C-1 is a hemiacetal group.   
Amino Acid:​Amine (-NH2) and Carboxyl (-COOH) functional groups. Also a variable R group that changes 
per amino acid. 
Fatty acids:​Carboxyl functional group 
Nucleic acids: o​ne phosphate group, one nitrogen-containing base, and a sugar molecule (which has alcohol and 
aldehyde/ketone group.) 
 
2. Both hydrolysis and denaturation can cause a protein to lose its function. Distinguish between these 
2 processes. Heat, changes in pH, and changes in salt concentration can cause a protein to denature. 
Explain how these 3 factors would cause denaturation. 
Hydrolysis​is the chemical breakdown of a compound upon the reaction with water.  
Denaturation i​s the loss of quaternary, tertiary, and secondary structure of a protein or nucleic acid by 
application of heat, a strong acid or base, or changes in salinity. These three factors can cause denaturation because 
the hydrogen bonds in protein folds are weak, and are easily affected by heat, changes in acidity, and salt 
concentration. The peptide bonds between amino acids stay intact, but the protein can no longer function as they 
lose their 3D structure.  
 
3. Compare the structure and function of the following lipids; also mention how each of these 
functions in a cell: triglycerides, phospholipids, and steroids. 
Triglycerides ​are chemically triesters of fatty acids and glycerol. Triglycerides are formed by combining glycerol 
with three fatty acid molecules. Their main function is to store energy for later use. When you consume more 
calories than your body can use, it stores those calories in the form of triglycerides.  
Phospholipids ​are amphipathic (have both a hydrophobic and hydrophilic components) molecules. Phospholipids 
have a phosphate group on one end (The head) and two fatty acid chain “tails”. They line up into a phospholipid 
bilayer, forming a protective cell membrane.  
Steroids​are biologically active organic compounds with four rings arranged in a specific molecular configuration. 
They function as important components of cell membranes which alter membrane fluidity and as signaling 
molecules. 
 
4. The ability of organisms to maintain relatively stable cellular, and therefore body temperatures, is 
also due in part to the properties of water that allow it to resist drastic temperature changes. Some 
organisms such as animals also undergo evaporative cooling when they sweat. Explain how the 
properties of water help cool the body during sweating.  
Water has a ​high heat of vaporization​, which means that a large amount of energy is required to 
transform 1 gram of water into water vapor. Sweating releases water, and water, having a high heat of 
vaporization, absorbs heat from the body to evaporate and helps in maintaining constant body 
temperature. 
 
5. Most organisms are approximately 70% water. For example, in human blood, tissue fluid, and cell 
cytoplasm is largely water, with the dissolved solute. Explain how the chemical properties of water 
make it an ideal solvent for living things. In your answer be sure to explain how water dissolves various 
hydrophilic substances found in our cell cytoplasms such as glucose and salt.   
Water is called the universal solvent because it can dissolve more substances than any other liquid. It 
means that wherever water goes, on its way to our water supply it takes along important minerals and 
nutrients. In the water molecule, one side (hydrogen) has a positive electrical charge and the other side 
(oxygen) had a negative charge. This allows the water molecule to become attracted to many other 
different types of molecules. Water can become so attracted to a different compound that it can disturb 
the attractive forces that hold the other compound together, and dissolve it. 
 
6. Buffer systems usually consist of a weak acid and a weak base, and together they help to keep the pH 
of the cell, blood, tissue fluid, etc., within a critical range. The carbonic acid-bicarbonate ion buffer 
system helps to regulate blood pH. The following chemical equation describes the chemical reactions 
of this buffer system. Examine the chemical equation and explain how this system works to regulate 
any increases or decreases in pH that may take place.  
 

 
The bicarbonate buffer solution is composed of a weak acid and its conjugate base. Carbonic acid, H 2 CO3 , is a 
weak acid and is formed when carbon dioxide combines with water in a reaction catalyzed by the enzyme carbonic 
anhydrase. Its conjugate base is bicarbonate, which is a polyatomic anion with the chemical formula H CO−3 .A 
process that acidifies blood will be neutralized by the bicarbonate ions, and it will minimize the change in pH. A 
process that alkalizes blood will be neutralized by the balanced concentration of carbonic acid.