Ch.

2-3 Study Guide

Topics:

• Understand that a bunch of properties of water and macromolecules ultimately can be

traced back to electronegativity of atoms
o know the definition of EN
o remember that the electronegativity of hydrogen is somewhere in between boron
and nitrogen; this is the only atom that does NOT follow the trend of
electronegativity of the periodic table (which increases from bottom left of the
periodic table to the upper right of the periodic table)

§
• understand that questions about hydrophobicity/hydrophilicity/solubility etc. are
actually asking if a molecule interacts with the dipoles of water
o ex.) we know that NaCl dissolves in water because…the Na+ will be attracted to
the partial negative O on water
o ex.) molecules that are polar also have a partial positive/negative charge on
molecules and will interact with water
o ex.) molecules that have no dipole WON’T interact with the partial positives and
negatives on water
§ there will be MANY questions/ applications of this on your test; cut
through the guesswork by drawing dipoles on molecules whenever you
encounter a problem such as this and ask yourself if the dipoles will
interact with the partial positives/ negatives on water
• know your monomers/ polymers of each macromolecule and how they are created
o ex.) dehydration synthesis vs hydrolysis reactions
• remember your non-covalent interactions and how they apply to primary, secondary,
tertiary, and quaternary structures of proteins
o know how recognize an amino acid backbone
§ remember: “nitrogen-alpha carbon-carboxy carbon”
• know your functional groups by heart
o hydroxyl, carbonyl, carboxyl, amino, sulfhydryl, methyl
o page 89 of your textbook
Take Away:

Understand all the concepts on the study guide that your teacher provided. In addition,
understand how you can trace everything back to chemistry (i.e. dipoles, non-covalent
interactions, etc.). Properties of macromolecules and features of life don’t just “exist for some
random reason”. Intrinsic properties of molecules ultimately give rise to properties that allow life
to be sustained on earth. You should be able to explain why a macromolecule displays a certain
property based on its structure and your understanding of non-covalent interactions. This will
allow you apply your knowledge to new situations, which will probably come up on your exam.

Practice Questions:

In a single molecule of water, two hydrogen atoms are bonded to a single oxygen atom by
A) hydrogen bonds.
B) nonpolar covalent bonds.
C) polar covalent bonds.
D) ionic bonds.
E) van der Waals interactions.

The slight negative charge at one end of one water molecule is attracted to the slight
positive charge of another water molecule. What is this attraction called?
A) a covalent bond
B) a hydrogen bond
C) an ionic bond
D) a hydrophilic bond
E) a hydrophobic bond

A carbon atom is most likely to form what kind of bond(s) with other atoms?
A) ionic
B) hydrogen
C) covalent
D) A and B only
E) A, B, and C

Research indicates that Ibuprofen, a drug used to relieve inflammation and pain, is a
mixture of two enantiomers; that is, molecules that
A) have identical three- dimensional shapes.
B) are mirror images of one another.
C) lack an asymmetric carbon.
D) differ in the location of their double bonds.
E) differ in their electrical charge.

Which is the best description of a carbonyl group?

A) an oxygen joined to a carbon by a single covalent bond
B) a nitrogen and two hydrogens joined to a carbon by covalent bonds
C) a carbon joined to two hydrogens by single covalent bonds
D) a sulfur and a hydrogen joined to a carbon by covalent bonds
E) a carbon atom joined to an oxygen by a double covalent bond
Which of the following contains nitrogen in addition to carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen?
A) an alcohol such as ethanol
B) a monosaccharide such as glucose
C) a steroid such as testosterone
D) an amino acid such as glycine
E) a hydrocarbon such as benzene

Which two functional groups are always found in amino acids?

A) ketone and aldehyde
B) carbonyl and carboxyl
C) carboxyl and amino
D) phosphate and sulfhydryl
E) hydroxyl and aldehyde

Which of the following is not a polymer?

A) glucose
B) starch
C) cellulose
D) chitin
E) DNA

What is the chemical mechanism by which cells make polymers from monomers?
A) phosphodiester linkages
B) hydrolysis
C) dehydration reactions
D) ionic bonding of monomers
E) the formation of disulfide bridges between monomers

Which of the following polymers contain nitrogen?

A) starch
B) glycogen
C) cellulose
D) chitin
E) amylopectin

A molecule with the chemical formula C6H12O6 is probably a

A) carbohydrate.
B) lipid.
C) monosaccharide
D) A and B only.
E) A, B, and C.

All of the following are polysaccharides except

A) glycogen
B) starch
C) chitin
D) cellulose
E) amylopectin
Humans can digest starch but not cellulose because
A) the monomer of starch is glucose, while the monomer of cellulose is galactose.
B) humans have enzymes that can hydrolyze the beta (β ) glycosidic linkages of starch
but not the alpha (α ) glycosidic linkages of cellulose.
C) humans have enzymes that can hydrolyze the alpha (α ) glycosidic linkages of starch
but not the beta (β ) glycosidic linkages of cellulose.
D) humans harbor starch- digesting bacteria in the digestive tract.
E) the monomer of starch is glucose, while the monomer of cellulose is maltose.

What is a triacylglycerol?
A) a protein with tertiary structure
B) a lipid made with three fatty acids and glycerol
C) a lipid that makes up much of the plasma membrane
D) a molecule formed from three alcohols by dehydration reactions
E) a carbohydrate with three sugars joined together by glycosidic linkages

Which of the following is true regarding saturated fatty acids?

A) They are the predominant fatty acid in corn oil.
B) They have double bonds between carbon atoms of the fatty acids.
C) They are the principal molecules in lard and butter.
D) They are usually liquid at room temperature.
E) They are usually produced by plants.

There are 20 different amino acids. What makes one amino acid different from another?
A) different carboxyl groups attached to an alpha (α ) carbon
B) different amino groups attached to an alpha (α ) carbon
C) different side chains (R groups) attached to an alpha (α ) carbon
D) different alpha (α ) carbons
E) different asymmetric carbons

Which bonds are created during the formation of the primary structure of a protein?
A) peptide bonds
B) hydrogen bonds
C) disulfide bonds
D) phosphodiester bonds
E) A, B, and C

Which of the following descriptions best fits the class of molecules known as nucleotides?
A) a nitrogenous base and a phosphate group
B) a nitrogenous base and a pentose sugar
C) a nitrogenous base, a phosphate group, and a pentose sugar
D) a phosphate group and an adenine or uracil
E) a pentose sugar and a purine or pyrimidine

The difference between the sugar in DNA and the sugar in RNA is that the sugar in DNA
A) is a six- carbon sugar and the sugar in RNA is a five- carbon sugar.
B) can form a double- stranded molecule.
C) has a six- membered ring of carbon and nitrogen atoms.
D) can attach to a phosphate.
E) contains one less oxygen atom.

Which of the following is an example of hydrolysis?

A) the reaction of two monosaccharides, forming a disaccharide with the release of water
B) the synthesis of two amino acids, forming a peptide with the release of water
C) the reaction of a fat, forming glycerol and fatty acids with the release of water
D) the reaction of a fat, forming glycerol and fatty acids with the utilization of water
E) the synthesis of a nucleotide from a phosphate, a pentose sugar, and a nitrogenous
base with the production of a molecule of water