Chemistry of
Life
1. List the three
most common elements found in the human body.
2. Compare covalent and ionic bonds. Indicate which
type of bond is formed by the common elements: C, H, N, O.
If covalent, calculate how many bonds each can form.
3. Identify whether
each of the following covalent bonds, C-O, C-H, N-H and O-H is polar or nonpolar,
and explain how these different characteristics relate to the electronegativity
of each atom involved in the bond.
4. Describe the properties
of water, which make it a polar solvent capable of dissolving ionic compounds
and also of forming hydrogen bonds with itself and with certain
covalent compounds.
5. Define hydrophobic and hydrophilic.
6. List the common
functional groups found in the
human body, their relative polarity and whether or not they are capable of
hydrogen bonding.
7. Define amphiphilic (amphipathic) and provide
an example of an amphiphilic biological molecule.
The Cell
1. List the major
components of a eukaryotic cell.
2. Define the major function of each of the parts listed
above.
3. Identify where
specific biochemical processes
occur in the cell.