AP BIO UNIT 1 CHEM & BIOCHEM Martha Kate Morrison

Unit 1 Homework
Chemistry Review & Properties of Water
Questions are required homework. Vocab is extra credit—worth ½ extra point per word on that assignment.
Vocab: electronegativity, specific heat, hydrophilic, hydrophobic
Electronegativity: a chemical property that describes the tendency of an atom or a functional group to attract
electrons toward itself
Specific heat: the heat required to raise the temperature of the unit mass of a given substance by a given
amount (usually one degree)
Hydrophilic: tending to mix with, dissolve in, or be wetted by water
Hydrophobic: tending to repel or fail to mix with water
1. If Lithium has an atomic number of 3 and a mass number of 7, what does this mean?

It has 3 protons in the nucleus, and the total mass of the nucleus is 7. Meaning there are 4 neurons.
2. How are radioactive isotopes used in biology?

They can be used as tracers within a living organism to trace what is going on inside the organism at an atomic
level.
3. What is the significance of valence electrons?

They determine how an atom will react.

4. What is the difference between covalent and ionic bonding?

Covalent bonding involves the sharing of electrons between two or more atoms. Ionic bonds form when two
or more ions come together and are held together by charge differences.
5. What is the difference between polar covalent and nonpolar covalent bonding?

A covalent bond that has an unequal sharing of electrons is called a polar covalent bond. A covalent bond that
has an equal sharing of electrons is called a nonpolar covalent bond.
6. Explain hydrogen bonding: why and how do hydrogen bonds form?

Hydrogen bonding is a special type of dipole-dipole attraction between molecules, not a covalent bond to a
hydrogen atom. It results from the attractive force between a hydrogen atom covalently bonded to a very
electronegative atom and another very electronegative atom.
7. How does electronegativity affect interactions between the atoms of a water molecule?

When atoms of different electronegativity form a covalent bond, it forms a polar covalent bond in which the
shared electrons are pulled closer to the more electronegative atom. In water, the oxygen atom is more
electronegative than the hydrogen, so the electrons are pulled closer to the oxygen.
 8. Give two specific examples of how hydrogen bonding is significant to living systems?

They stabilize DNA and responsible for waters unique solvent capabilities.
9. Describe how properties of water contribute to the upward movement of water in a tree.

The cohesive properties of water (hydrogen bonding between adjacent water molecules) allow the column of
water to be 'pulled' up through the tree. This is known as capillarity
10. Why do they say “it’s not the heat, it’s the humidity?”

Our body produces sweat to help keep us cool, but that only works if the sweat evaporates, because
evaporation is a cooling process. So when the relative humidity of the air is high, meaning the air has a high
moisture content, the sweat evaporation process slows down.
11. A water strider’s legs are coated with a hydrophobic substance. What might be the benefit? What
might happen if they were coated with a hydrophilic substance?

The benefit is that it would repel water. If it were coated with a hydrophilic substance it would get wet really
easy and probably sink
12. Explain how pH is measured, in relationship to hydrogen and hydroxide ion concentrations.

The pH scale covers the active concentration of the H+ ions and OH- ions and therefore the pH unit of measure
is defined as the negative common logarithm of the active hydrogen ion concentration in an aqueous solution.
The more OH ions the more basic. The more H ions the more the more acidic
13. Explain how buffers regulate pH in biological systems.

A variety of buffering systems permits blood and other bodily fluids to maintain a narrow pH range, even in
the face of perturbations.

Organic Chemistry & Macromolecules

1. What role do dehydration synthesis and hydrolysis reactions have?

Dehydration synthesis reactions build molecules up and generally require energy, while hydrolysis reactions
break molecules down and generally release energy.
2. Why is water needed for the breakdown of a biomolecule?

Water is needed for the breakdown of a biomolecule because it influences the structure, self-assembly, and
properties of all cellular components, including enzymes and other proteins, nucleic acids, and lipids.
3. How many molecules of water are needed to completely hydrolyze a polymer that is ten monomers
long?

Nine water molecules

4. Which forms of polysaccharides are best for the following functions: strength and structure, storage &
sugar release?
Strength and structure: Cellulose for plants, chitin for arthropods.
Storage and sugar release: Starch for plants and glycogen for animals
5. Compare and contrast the structure and function of the following polysaccharides: starch, glycogen,
cellulose, chitin

Starch: the structure is made up of long chains of sugar molecules that are connected together. Its functions is
the most important energy source for humans. The body digests starch by metabolizing it into glucose
Glycogen: the structure is a long polymer chains of glucose units which are bonded with an alpha acetal
linkage. The function is your body mainly uses the store of glycogen in your liver to help regulate your blood
glucose levels.
Cellulose: The structure is sheet like. It has different bonding, every other glucose is flipped. The fuction is its
responsible for much of the mechanical strength of the cell wall
Chitin: The structure of chitin is comparable to cellulose, forming crystalline nanofibrils or whiskers. The
function is its one of the most important biopolymers in nature. It is mainly produced by fungi, arthropods and
nematodes.
6. What property makes fats hydrophobic?

Their relatively long nonpolar hydrocarbon chains make them hydrophobic

7. Explain the differences between saturated and unsaturated lipids. What differentiates
monounsaturated from polyunsaturated fats?

Saturated fatty acids lack double bonds between the individual carbon atoms, while in unsaturated fatty acids
there is at least one double bond in the fatty acid chain. Monounsaturated fats: This type of unsaturated fat
contains only one double bond in its structure. Polyunsaturated fats: This type of unsaturated fat contains two
or more double bonds in its structure.
8. Explain how phospholipids interact in an aqueous (water-based) solution. Also, how do phospholipids
form membranes?

Since water is a polar molecule, it readily forms electrostatic (charge-based) interactions with the phospholipid
heads. Phospholipids are able to form cell membranes because the phosphate group head is hydrophilic
(water-loving) while the fatty acid tails are hydrophobic (water-hating)
9. List the functions of proteins.

Provide Structure. Regulate Body Processes. Transport Materials.

10. What are the properties used to classify amino acids?

nonpolar, polar but uncharged, negatively charged, or positively charged.

11. Briefly describe the four levels of protein structure (make sketches if necessary).

The shape of a protein can be described by four levels of structure:

primary-the sequence in which amino acids are added to a growing polypeptide during translation
secondary-The alpha helix is a delicate coil formed by hydrogen bonding between a hydrogen atom on one
amino acid and an oxygen atom on the fourth amino acid away tertiary and quaternary
Tertiary Structure- the overall shape of the protein. Most proteins have a compact, globular tertiary structure
Quaternary Structure- occurs in proteins that are made up of more than one polypeptide chain
12. What happens to protein during denaturation? Which levels of protein structure/folding are disrupted
by denaturation?

Denatured proteins have a looser, more random structure; most are insoluble. When a protein is denatured,
secondary and tertiary structures are altered but the peptide bonds of the primary structure between the
amino acids are left intact.
13. Improper protein folding will cause that protein to be nonfunctional. How/why?

By folding into distinct shapes, proteins can perform very different roles despite being composed of the same
basic building blocks, so if they folded incorrectly they wouldn't be able to perform the right role, causing it to
be nonfunctional
14. Briefly describe two functions of DNA in the cell.

To store the genetic information, It is essential for coding proteins.

15. What are the three components of a nucleotide?

A nucleotide consists of a sugar molecule (either ribose in RNA or deoxyribose in DNA) attached to a
phosphate group and a nitrogen-containing base.
16. Why is ATP such an ideal carrier of energy?

The phosphate groups that link through phosphodiester bonds. These bonds are high energy because of the associated
electronegative charges exerting a repelling force between the phosphate groups.