AP Biology
Notes 3 The Basic Chemistry of Life - Biochemistry, Bonds, Molecules, Reactions
Students are responsible for the information described on pages 19 – 24 and the pages noted below
I. _________________________, the study of life’s chemicals and reactions, is fundamental to all areas
of biology
A. An essential part of biochemistry is chemical ___________________________
1. Bonds form when atoms interact; interactions involve ________________ and can join atoms
together or can join together larger molecular units
a. Bonds can be within the same molecule (_______________________) or ion
b. Bonds can be between molecules (____________________), forming multimolecular
complexes
2. Bonds that hold the molecule or ion together
a. ____________ bonds – see pages 25 and 26
i. Can make ions (NaCl, HCl) or parts of molecules can be ionized (___________, parts of
___________________, NaOH)
ii. ___________________________: measurement of degree to which an atom will
attract electrons
b. ___________________ bonds – form molecules; see pages 24 and 25 (an intramolecular
bond)
i. Polar versus nonpolar covalent bonds and molecules (See SGN 4)
3. Variations on bonds
a. _______________________________ bonds include any bonds between charged or
partially charged (polar) atoms or atomic groups
i. _________________ bonds form between polar groups, or between polar and charged
groups; polar molecules form hydrogen bonds
ii. Hydrophilic bonds also include attractions between ______________________ groups
b. ___________________________ bonds form when water pushes neutral groups together
c. Hydrophilic and hydrophobic bonds can be intramolecular or intermolecular
B. Molecular ___________________ is essential in fulfilling molecular function
1. Biomolecules typically have particular shapes that are fundamental to their function
a. Often molecules must fit together in order to react as required (many _______________),
or are constructed in a way that facilitates their function (nucleic acids)
b. __________________ is instrumental in maintaining molecular shape and in bringing
molecules and cellular structures together
Please turn over
C. Chemical reactions
1. Chemical reactions make and break chemical ___________, reshaping reactants into products
a. Students should know how to read a chemical equation
b. Regulation of the rate of a chemical reaction is extremely important in regard to
maintaining the _______________________ of biological systems
i. Rate can be affected by presence of ____________________,
____________________, ___________, concentration of ________________ and
___________________________, etc.