p.1
Properties of Living Systems
What distinguishes living systems from inanimate objects?
Living systems can grow, move, perform metabolism, respond to stimuli, and replicate themselves with fidelity.
p.1
Structural Organization of Biomolecules
What is the basic unit of living organisms?
Cells, which can be of many types.
p.1
Structural Organization of Biomolecules
What are organelles?
Subcellular structures that are complex assemblies of large polymeric molecules called macromolecules.
p.1
Biomolecules and Their Functions
How do the properties of biomolecules relate to living conditions?
The properties of biomolecules reflect their fitness to the living condition.
p.3
Energy Transformation in Living Organisms
What are ATP and NADPH?
Biochemically important energy-rich compounds.
p.11
Self-Replication and Genetic Material
What did Francis Crick postulate in 1957 regarding molecular biology?
He proposed a pathway for the flow of information in biological systems.
p.9
Self-Replication and Genetic Material
What is the function of the nucleus?
It is the repository of genetic information contained within the DNA of chromosomes.
p.4
Chemical Composition of Living Matter
What elements make up more than 99% of the atoms in the human body?
Hydrogen (H), Oxygen (O), Carbon (C), and Nitrogen (N).
p.5
Biomolecules and Their Functions
What is the significance of carbon in biomolecules?
Carbon is essential because of its unparalleled versatility in forming stable covalent bonds through electron-pair sharing.
p.11
Chemical Composition of Living Matter
Why are polysaccharides not considered information-rich?
They are often composed of the same sugar unit repeated, lacking unique sequences.
p.13
Weak Chemical Forces in Biological Interactions
What is the significance of the van der Waals interaction energy profile?
It shows the relationship between energy and distance between two atoms.
p.7
Chemical Composition of Living Matter
What is the mass of one dalton approximately equal to?
The mass of one hydrogen atom, approximately 1.66 x 10^-24 g.
p.7
Macromolecules and Their Building Blocks
What are the building blocks for macromolecules?
Amino acids, sugars, nucleotides, fatty acids, and glycerol.
p.7
Macromolecules and Their Building Blocks
What types of macromolecules are constructed from building blocks?
Proteins, polysaccharides, polynucleotides (DNA and RNA), and lipids.
p.7
Weak Chemical Forces in Biological Interactions
What maintains the structural integrity of supramolecular complexes?
Noncovalent forces such as hydrogen bonds, ionic attractions, van der Waals forces, and hydrophobic interactions.
p.4
Molecular Recognition and Structural Complementarity
How do the two strands of DNA relate to each other?
They are structurally complementary; A pairs with T and C pairs with G.
p.13
Weak Chemical Forces in Biological Interactions
What occurs when two atoms approach each other closely, causing their electron clouds to overlap?
Strong repulsive van der Waals forces.
p.13
Weak Chemical Forces in Biological Interactions
How is the limit of approach of two atoms determined?
By the sum of their van der Waals radii.
p.9
Structural Organization of Biomolecules
What organelles are mentioned as part of the cellular structure?
Nucleus, endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, vacuoles, peroxisomes, lysosomes, and chromoplasts.
p.2
Properties of Living Systems
What is the state of apparent constancy in living organisms?
A dynamic condition maintained by energy and material consumption.
p.4
Self-Replication and Genetic Material
What process allows DNA to replicate itself?
A polymerization process that uses information from the complementary strand.
p.13
Weak Chemical Forces in Biological Interactions
What defines the van der Waals contact distance?
The interatomic distance that results if only van der Waals forces hold two atoms together.
p.1
Macromolecules and Their Building Blocks
What are macromolecules?
Very large polymeric molecules that make up organelles.
p.3
Self-Replication and Genetic Material
What does the accuracy of self-replication ensure?
That organisms resemble their parents.
p.1
Chemical Composition of Living Matter
Can life functions be interpreted in chemical terms?
Yes, despite the complexity of life, they are interpretable in chemical terms.
p.11
Self-Replication and Genetic Material
What is the central dogma of molecular biology?
Information flows from DNA to RNA to protein.
p.5
Macromolecules and Their Building Blocks
What is a macromolecule?
A large structure formed from thousands or millions of atoms, built from simpler molecules.
p.3
Self-Replication and Genetic Material
How do organisms reproduce?
Through various mechanisms, from simple division in bacteria to sexual reproduction in plants and animals.
p.10
Chemical Composition of Living Matter
How do macromolecules form through polymerization?
By head-to-tail linear connections accompanied by dehydration synthesis reactions.
p.5
Structural Organization of Biomolecules
What types of bonds can carbon form?
Carbon can form single, double, and triple covalent bonds with other atoms.
p.1
Properties of Living Systems
What is the essential question regarding molecules and living things?
How do the properties of living things derive from the properties of molecules?
p.2
Properties of Living Systems
What role do biological structures serve in organisms?
They play a role in the organism’s existence and have functional purposes.
p.11
Self-Replication and Genetic Material
Which biological macromolecules are considered information-rich?
Nucleic acids and proteins.
p.2
Energy Transformation in Living Organisms
What characterizes the living state in terms of energy?
The flow of energy through the organism.
p.11
Properties of Living Systems
What role do proteins play in biological systems?
They are the agents of biological function, underlying virtually all cellular activities.
p.8
Chemical Composition of Living Matter
What are the inorganic precursors mentioned in the text?
Carbon dioxide, Water, Ammonia, Nitrogen (N2), Nitrate (NO3–).
p.10
Energy Transformation in Living Organisms
What is the necessity for information and energy in living systems?
They are essential for the maintenance of the living state.
p.4
Chemical Composition of Living Matter
What property allows hydrogen, oxygen, carbon, and nitrogen to be suitable for the chemistry of life?
Their ability to form covalent bonds by electron-pair sharing.
p.5
Chemical Composition of Living Matter
What are the major precursors for the formation of biomolecules?
Water, carbon dioxide, ammonium, nitrate, and dinitrogen.
p.14
Molecular Recognition and Structural Complementarity
What is the defining concept of biochemistry?
Molecular recognition through structural complementarity.
p.8
Biomolecules and Their Functions
What are metabolites and provide examples?
Metabolites are compounds ranging from 50–250 daltons, examples include Glucose, Fructose-1,6-bisphosphate, and Pyruvate.
p.3
Self-Replication and Genetic Material
What is a distinctive property of living systems?
The remarkable capacity for self-replication.
p.1
Chemical Composition of Living Matter
What is the relationship between chemistry and biological phenomena?
Chemistry is the logic of biological phenomena.
p.4
Chemical Composition of Living Matter
What distinguishes the elemental composition of living matter from that of the Earth's crust?
Living matter has a higher abundance of hydrogen, oxygen, carbon, and nitrogen compared to the Earth's crust.
p.12
Structural Organization of Biomolecules
What is a unique aspect of a molecule's identity?
The structure of the molecule.
p.9
Energy Transformation in Living Organisms
What is the function of chloroplasts?
They enable cells to carry out photosynthesis by capturing light energy and transforming it into chemical forms.
p.5
Structural Organization of Biomolecules
What is the tetrahedral nature of carbon bonds?
When carbon forms only single bonds, the four covalent bonds arrange in a tetrahedral shape.
p.7
Weak Chemical Forces in Biological Interactions
Why are noncovalent forces important in supramolecular assemblies?
They are numerous and can collectively maintain the architecture of the complex under various conditions.
p.3
Self-Replication and Genetic Material
What characterizes the self-replication process in living organisms?
An astounding degree of fidelity.
p.10
Chemical Composition of Living Matter
What is the process that accompanies bond formation in macromolecules?
Elimination of water, known as dehydration synthesis.
p.14
Weak Chemical Forces in Biological Interactions
What are ionic interactions?
Forces between oppositely charged groups or molecules, such as negative carboxyl groups and positive amino groups.
p.9
Energy Transformation in Living Organisms
What role do mitochondria play in the cell?
They capture energy released during aerobic metabolism to produce ATP.
p.14
Properties of Living Systems
Why are specific interactions between biomolecules important?
They are fundamental to metabolism, growth, replication, and other vital processes.
p.8
Properties of Living Systems
How did some organelles evolve?
Some organelles, like mitochondria and chloroplasts, evolved from bacteria that entered early eukaryotic cells.
p.4
Self-Replication and Genetic Material
What is the primary genetic material in organisms?
Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA).
p.11
Molecular Recognition and Structural Complementarity
What is the significance of the sequence of monomeric units in biological polymers?
It can contain information if the diversity and order of the units are not overly simple or repetitive.
p.10
Structural Organization of Biomolecules
What is the significance of the 'sense' or directionality in macromolecules?
It allows for organized structure and function in biological processes.
p.14
Weak Chemical Forces in Biological Interactions
How do hydrogen bonds differ from van der Waals forces?
Hydrogen bonds are stronger and more directional, requiring specific donor and acceptor groups.
p.13
Structural Organization of Biomolecules
What are the van der Waals radii of common biomolecular atoms used for?
To determine the spatial arrangement and interactions between atoms in biomolecules.
p.11
Self-Replication and Genetic Material
What is a gene?
A sequence of nucleotides in DNA that encodes the information to build a protein.
p.11
Self-Replication and Genetic Material
What is the relationship between nucleotide sequences and amino acid sequences?
A nucleotide sequence in DNA is transcribed to RNA and then translated to a sequence of amino acids in a protein.
p.8
Macromolecules and Their Building Blocks
What are the building blocks of biomolecules?
Amino acids, Nucleotides, Monosaccharides, Fatty acids, Glycerol.
p.4
Chemical Composition of Living Matter
What are the four building blocks of DNA?
Adenine (A), Cytosine (C), Guanine (G), and Thymine (T).
p.10
Macromolecules and Their Building Blocks
What are the building blocks of proteins, nucleic acids, and polysaccharides?
Amino acids for proteins, nucleotides for nucleic acids, and sugars for polysaccharides.
p.2
Energy Transformation in Living Organisms
What is the function of ATP and NADPH in cells?
They serve as power sources that drive energy-requiring activities.
p.13
Molecular Recognition and Structural Complementarity
What enhances van der Waals packing in molecules?
Structural complementarity.
p.2
Properties of Living Systems
What happens to an organism upon death in terms of energy?
It reaches equilibrium with its inanimate environment.
p.6
Molecular Recognition and Structural Complementarity
What is the significance of C-C bonds in biomolecules?
They allow the building of complex structures: linear, cyclic, branched, and planar.
p.14
Weak Chemical Forces in Biological Interactions
Why do nonpolar molecules cluster together in water?
Because water molecules prefer stronger interactions with each other over interactions with nonpolar molecules.
p.8
Macromolecules and Their Building Blocks
What are macromolecules and give examples?
Macromolecules range from 10^3 to 10^9 daltons, examples include Proteins, Nucleic acids, Polysaccharides, and Lipids.
p.10
Self-Replication and Genetic Material
What role do biomolecules play in living systems?
They contain the information or 'recipe' of life and translate this information for synthesis of essential molecules.
p.10
Structural Organization of Biomolecules
What is meant by structural polarity in biomolecules?
Building blocks have a 'head' and a 'tail', leading to a directionality in the macromolecule's structure.
p.14
Weak Chemical Forces in Biological Interactions
What forms hydrogen bonds?
A hydrogen atom covalently bonded to an electronegative atom (like oxygen or nitrogen) and a second electronegative atom.
p.5
Structural Organization of Biomolecules
What is the structural hierarchy of biomolecules?
Simple molecules serve as building blocks for complex structures, leading to the formation of macromolecules.
p.2
Chemical Composition of Living Matter
What is entropy in thermodynamic terms?
The amount of energy in a system that is unavailable to do work.
p.14
Weak Chemical Forces in Biological Interactions
What drives hydrophobic interactions?
The strong tendency of water to exclude nonpolar groups or molecules.
p.5
Energy Transformation in Living Organisms
What role do metabolites play in biomolecule formation?
Metabolites are transformed through metabolic processes to form the building blocks of macromolecules.
p.7
Biomolecules and Their Functions
What are metabolites?
Simple organic compounds that are intermediates in cellular energy transformation and biosynthesis.
p.9
Properties of Living Systems
What does Michelle Nguyen emphasize about career paths?
She advises students to not fear the road less traveled, as it may lead to more meaningful opportunities.
p.7
Structural Organization of Biomolecules
What units are typically used to express the mass and length of biomolecules?
Mass is expressed in daltons (Da) and length in nanometers (nm).
p.12
Macromolecules and Their Building Blocks
What are proteins primarily composed of?
Linear sequences of covalently linked amino acids.
p.7
Supramolecular Complexes and Cellular Organization
What are supramolecular complexes?
Assemblies formed by interactions among macromolecules that serve important sub-cellular functions.
p.8
Supramolecular Complexes and Cellular Organization
What are supramolecular complexes?
Structures ranging from 10^6 to 10^9 daltons, such as Ribosomes, Cytoskeleton, and Multienzyme complexes.
p.12
Weak Chemical Forces in Biological Interactions
What determines the strength of hydrogen bonds?
The polarity of the hydrogen bond donor and acceptor.
p.12
Weak Chemical Forces in Biological Interactions
What is the force associated with hydrophobic interactions?
A complex phenomenon determined by the disorder of water structure.
p.11
Self-Replication and Genetic Material
How does RNA differ from DNA?
In RNA, uracil (U) replaces thymine (T) as one of the nucleotide building blocks.
p.9
Supramolecular Complexes and Cellular Organization
How do membranes function in cells?
They define the boundaries of cells and organelles and are complexes of proteins and lipids maintained by noncovalent forces.
p.8
Structural Organization of Biomolecules
What is the significance of the hierarchical organization in cells?
It illustrates the complexity and organization of biological structures from simple molecules to complex organelles.
p.5
Weak Chemical Forces in Biological Interactions
Why are covalent bonds between hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen strong?
Because the strength of covalent bonds is inversely proportional to the atomic weights of the atoms involved.
p.9
Properties of Living Systems
What characterizes the cell as the unit of life?
It is the smallest entity capable of displaying growth, metabolism, stimulus response, and replication.
p.12
Weak Chemical Forces in Biological Interactions
What do van der Waals forces result from?
Induced electrical interactions between closely approaching atoms or molecules.
p.9
Weak Chemical Forces in Biological Interactions
What is the significance of hydrophobic interactions in membrane structure?
They are crucial for maintaining membrane structure by promoting the assembly of lipids and proteins in an aqueous environment.
p.12
Weak Chemical Forces in Biological Interactions
What types of interactions are included in weak chemical forces?
Hydrogen bonds, van der Waals forces, ionic interactions, and hydrophobic interactions.
p.7
Supramolecular Complexes and Cellular Organization
What is an example of a supramolecular complex?
Ribosomes, which are involved in protein synthesis.
p.8
Structural Organization of Biomolecules
What are organelles and where are they found?
Organelles are subcellular structures dedicated to specific purposes, found only in eukaryotic cells.
