Background 2 - Basic Biochemistry PDF

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Background Worksheet 2. Basic Biochemistry: Macromolecules and Membranes If you felt you were struggling with the biochemistry lectures (L 3-5), you should work through this background worksheet before starting the Week 2 Essentials worksheet. You should find the answers to these questions in the lecture slides &/or your textbook. This will summarise some important information for your test and exam revision. 1. What chemical elements are found in all (a) carbohydrates? (b) proteins? (c) lipids? (d) nucleic acids? 2. Name two polysaccharides found in plants and describe their function.

3. Name two polysaccharides found in some animals and describe their function.

4. Which animal polysaccharide is also found in fungi and what is its function in fungi?

5. Monosaccharides have linear and ring conformations. In which conformation do they form polymers?

6. Name four functions of proteins.

7. What ultimately determines the final shape that a protein folds into? 8. What is a catalyst?

9. Why are enzymes needed to catalyse reactions in the cell?

10. What functional groups do you look for in a molecular structure that indicate a polar part of the molecule?

11. What else can be important in determining polarity? (Hint: sketch a water molecule and look at the arrangement of partial charges)

12. Draw the symbol for a phospholipid used in Campbell and label the hydrophilic and hydrophobic parts.

13. What is the advantage of having unsaturated fatty acids in some of the phospholipids in a biological membrane?

14. Look up the meaning of ‘fluid’ and write it here

15. Look up the meaning of ‘mosaic’ and write it here

16. In biological membranes, are there any covalent bonds connecting the individual phospholipids to one another?

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