Notes

Biochemistry
Chemistry in Living Systems:

1. Draw a water molecule and show the covalent bonds, atoms, and the polarity of each part of
the molecule.

2. Use the water molecule to describe the relationships among all the following: polar and non-
polar molecules, intramolecular and intermolecular forces, hydrophilic and hydrophobic
interactions.
 3. What is a functional group? How do scientists use them to understand biological molecules.
Biologically Important Macromolecules

4. Explain how the following are related; macromolecule, polymer, monomer.

5. Use a venn diagram to describe similarities and differences between monosaccharides,

dissacharides, and polysaccharides. (Think structure and function!)
6. Describe the similarities and differences between starch, glycogen and cellulose. (Think
structure and function.)
7. a) Sketch and describe the basic structure of a tri-glyceride.
3 fatty acids covalenly bonded to three carbon alcohol, glycerol molecule.

b) How is a phospholipid different?

c) What is meant by the dual character of a phospholipid and why is it important in living
systems?
8. Summarize the four levels of organization of protein structure.

9. Create a chart that summarizes the information you know about the structure and function of the
three macromolecules studied.
Biochemical Reactions
10. Review the sheet on condenstation/hydrolysis reactions. You should be able to do everything on
this sheet.
11. What is a buffer and why is it important in biological systems?

12. Explain the ways that an enzyme prepares a substrate for reaction.

13. Why is the structure of the protein important to enzyme function?

tertiary structure is important for enzyme functionality because it spatially connects all the
functional pieces of a protein together to perform a task, usually, a very specific task
connected to that level of structure.

Background: Enzymes are proteins. Proteins have 4 levels of structure (primary, secondary,
tertiary, quaternary) and at each level, different information is being emphasized. Primary
structure is the sequence of amino acids, and since proteins are constructed of linear chains,
this tells us the order of building blocks. Next, proteins begin to fold into sub structures,
some of which we recognize easily (beta sheet, alpha helix) and others which are very
unique. These structures are important because they tell us how amino acids that are nearby
each other on a chain interact to form higher order structures. Finally, all these structures
fold in and around each other to form functional components that bring distant parts of the
chain together. This is why tertiary structure is so important to function, it essentially is the
backbone of the function because it describes the overall shape of the enzyme.
14. Draw an enzyme catalyzed reaction, label the active site, substrate, substrate-enzyme complex,
products formed.

15. Draw sketches and write explanations to show how an enzyme is affected by:
a) a competitive inhibitor
b) a non-competitive inhibitor
c) an activator
d). Explain what enzyme inhibition is, and how feedback inhibition occurs.
Structures and Functions of Eukaryotic Cells
17. Explain what the endomembrane system is, including the cell structures that are part of it, and
describe its functions.
21. What are functions of the cell membrane?
22. Describe the fluid mosaic model of the cell membrane. Be able to sketch the fluid mosaic model of
the cell including both peripheral and integral proteins, glycoproteins and transport proteins.

Cell Transport:
23. What is simple diffusion? What are the factors that affect its rate?

24. What is osmosis?

25. Explain what would happen and why to the following. Discuss in which direction the water is moving
and why.
a) an animal cell in a hypertonic solution
b) a plant cell in a hypertonic solution
c) an animal cell in an isotonic solution
d) a plant cell in an isotonic solution
e) an animal cell in a hypotonic solution
f) a plant cell in a hypertonic solution

26. Explain how each of the following forms of cell transport work;
a) facilitated diffusion
b) primary and secondary active transport
c) membrane assisted transport (endocytosis and exocytosis)