Study Guide for Lectures 1-3 (Chapters 1-3.

2)

Lecture 1 (Chapter 1) Life

1. At the end of Louis Pasteur’s experiment:

a) Why does the cloudy broth in the straight-necked flask prove that life must come
from life?
The cloudy broth showed that microbes were able to enter, allowing for more microbes to be produced.
The swan necked flask did not allow microbes in and did not have cloudy broth.

b) Why does the broth in the swan-necked flask remain clear?

Microbes were not able to enter so life can not appear spontaneously.

2. Compare and contrast eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells.

Eukaryotic cells Prokaryotic cells
Similarities have plasma membrane and contain genetic material

Differences
have a nucleus no nucleus

cholesterol is in cell membranes other sterols are used in cell membranes

Lecture 2 (Chapter 2) Bonding

1. What is electronegativity? In the periodic table explain why the elements get more
electronegative as you go across (from group I to VII) and up the table (from row 7 to 1).

2. List the most electronegative atoms in biological molecules.

3. What is an intramolecular bond and rank the types of intramolecular bonds in order of
strength from weakest to strongest.
4. Under what conditions will two atoms in a molecule form a polar covalent bond? In
biological molecules which combination of atoms often from this type of bond?

5. Under what conditions will two atoms in a molecule form a non-polar covalent bond? In
biological molecules which combinations of atoms often from this type of bond?

6. Under what conditions will two atoms form an ionic bond? Typically, which groups do
elements belong to in the periodic table that tend to form these bonds? Explain.

7. What is an intermolecular bond and rank the types of intermolecular bonds in order of
strength from weakest to strongest.

8. Which are stronger, intra or intermolecular bonds? When a liquid becomes a gas which
one of these bonds are broken?

9. Draw a diagram showing the interactions made between Na+ and Cl- ions when NaCl is
dissolved in water.

10. Explain why polar molecules are hydrophilic? Give examples of polar groups in a
biological molecule that could make it polar.
11. Explain why non-polar molecules are hydrophobic? Give examples of non-polar groups
in a biological molecule that could make it non-polar. What type of intermolecular
interactions can these groups make?

12. A hydrogen bond can form between two molecules A and B. For biological molecules
which atoms could A and B contain to form an H bond? Draw an example showing
where the H bond is made.

13. Draw and label the amino group, alpha carbon, carboxyl group, and R group in an amino
acid.

14. Draw and label the three basic parts of a nucleotide.

15. Fill in the table below that compares and contrasts nucleic acids (DNA/RNA), proteins
and carbohydrates.
Nucleic acids proteins carbohydrates
What are the
monomers/basic
units?
What is the name of
the bond between
the monomers?
17. What are the common features of lipids?

Lecture 3 Nucleic acids (Chapter 3, sections 3.1-3.2)

1. In double-stranded DNA bonds connect the nucleotides (the backbone) in each of
the single strands, bonds connect the bases between the two strands, and the rings in
the bases within a single strand make with each other. The sugar-phosphate
backbone is on the _______ of the structure while the bases are on the ________ of the
structure.

2. Are the bonds between the nucleotides in each strand stronger or weaker than the bonds
between the bases in the two strands. Explain. What is the biological significance/purpose of
this difference?

3. Fill in the table about double-stranded DNA.

Which chemical groups are located at the 5’ end?
Which chemical groups are located at the 3’ end?
What is the polarity of each strand in the double helix?
What term is used to describe this arrangement?
What chemical group is located at the 2’C in the sugar
of the nucleotide? What chemical group is located at
the 3’C in the sugar of the nucleotide? Which one is
connected to the adjacent nucleotide via a bond that
joins the bases in each of the single strands of the
helix?
Name the bases, and possible base pairing that can
occur.

How many bonds are made between each of the types

of base-pairing that can occur in DNA?

Is DNA charged? If it is, is it negative or positive and negatively charged cause of phosphate group
why?

4. Draw a flow chart showing the central dogma of molecular biology?