Unit 1 Reading Guide: Adapted from L. Miriello, D. Knuffke and Holtzclaw and Holtzclaw
by M. Chirby
Chapter 3: Water and the Fitness of the Environment
1. Why is water considered a polar molecule?
2. For each of the below listed properties of water – briefly define the property and then explain
how water’s polar nature and polar covalent bonds contribute to the water special property.
Include an example in nature of each property also.
a. Cohesion
b. Adhesion
c. Surface tension
d. High specific heat
e. Heat of vaporization
f. Evaporative cooling
3. What is special about water and density?
4.
Define the following terms:
a. Solute
b. Solvent
c. Aqueous solution
Page 1 of 12
Unit 1 Reading Guide: Adapted from L. Miriello, D. Knuffke and Holtzclaw and Holtzclaw
by M. Chirby
d. Hydrophilic
e. Hydrophobic
f. Molarity
5. Label the diagram below to demonstrate the dissociation of the water molecule and then
relate this diagram to pH.
6. What defines an acid and a base?
7. Why are “apparently” small changes in pH so important in biology? (hint: how much more
acidic is a solution with a pH of 6 compared to a solution with a pH of 7)?
8. What is a buffer? Explain the necessity of the carbonic acid buffer system in human blood.
9. What is acid precipitation and why is it important to living organisms?
Page 2 of 12
Unit 1 Reading Guide: Adapted from L. Miriello, D. Knuffke and Holtzclaw and Holtzclaw
by M. Chirby
Chapter 36: Resource Acquisition and Transport in Vascular Plants
1. Plants have a rigid cell wall, which adds another factor than affects osmosis: pressure.
Define water potential.
2. The equation for water potential is Ψ = Ψs + Ψp, where Ψ is the water potential, Ψs is the
solute potential, and Ψp is the pressure potential. Discuss what the Ψs of pure water is AND
how this value changes when solutes are added to pure water.
3. What is transpiration?
4. Using the figure below, explain how water moves from the roots to the leaves through the
process of transpiration. Include each of the following terms in your explanation AND label
them on your figure: lower water potential, higher water potential, hydrogen bonding,
adhesion, cohesion, xylem, stomata.
Page 3 of 12
Unit 1 Reading Guide: Adapted from L. Miriello, D. Knuffke and Holtzclaw and Holtzclaw
by M. Chirby
5. Leaves generally have large surface areas and high surface-to-volume ratios. Give an
advantage and disadvantage of these traits.
6. On the following sketch, label the guard cell, stomata, and H2O. Explain the role of stomata
in transpiration.
Chapter 4: Carbon and the Diversity of Life
1. Why is organic chemistry so important in the study of biology?
2. Explain how vitalism and mechanism differ. Is either one correct?
3. What is special about carbon that makes it the central atom in the chemistry of life?
4. Why are the two structures shown below isomers of one another?
Page 4 of 12
Unit 1 Reading Guide: Adapted from L. Miriello, D. Knuffke and Holtzclaw and Holtzclaw
by M. Chirby
5. Complete the table below by drawing the structure, noting the functional properties and
answering the miscellaneous question.
Functional Group
Structure
Functional Properties Miscellaneous
What common beverage
(though not for you)
features this functional
group?
Hydroxyl
What is the difference
between a ketone and an
aldehyde?
Carbonyl
Find a picture of an amino
acid, draw it here, and
circle the carboxyl group:
Carboxyl
Find a picture of an amino
acid, draw it here, and
circle the amine group:
Amine
What type of biological
molecule contains sulfur?
Sulfhydryl
Phosphates are high in
energy. Name a biological
molecule that uses
phosphates for energy.
Phosphate
Page 5 of 12
Unit 1 Reading Guide: Adapted from L. Miriello, D. Knuffke and Holtzclaw and Holtzclaw
by M. Chirby
Chapter 5: The Structure and Function of Macromolecules
1. Label the diagram below – identify a monomer, polymer, condensation reaction, and
hydrolysis.
2. What are the three hexose (“six carbon”) monosaccharides?
3. What is a glycosidic linkage and what do the numbers 1-4 and 1-2 relate to?
4. Compare and contrast the two storage polysaccharides.
5. Compare and contrast the two structural polysaccharides.
6. Why are lipids grouped together?
Page 6 of 12
Unit 1 Reading Guide: Adapted from L. Miriello, D. Knuffke and Holtzclaw and Holtzclaw
by M. Chirby
7. What are the building blocks of fats?
8. Contrast saturated and unsaturated fats – how does their structure determine their function?
9. Label the molecule below.
10. How would you recognize a basic steroid molecule?
11. List at least five functions of proteins:
12. What are the names for the monomers and polymers of proteins? Why do they have these
names?
Page 7 of 12
Unit 1 Reading Guide: Adapted from L. Miriello, D. Knuffke and Holtzclaw and Holtzclaw
by M. Chirby
13. Draw two amino acids – label the amino group, the carboxyl group and the alpha carbon.
Circle the water molecule to be removed and then note the peptide bond formed when the
two are joined. Identify whether each amino acid is hydrophilic or hydrophobic and explain
your reasoning.
14. Explain the four levels of protein structure –
a. Primary
b. Secondary
c. Tertiary
d. Quaternary
15. How does the characteristics of an amino acid – nonpolar, polar, acidic or basic relate to the
issue of tertiary and quaternary structure?
16. What does denaturation mean and why is it important?
Page 8 of 12
Unit 1 Reading Guide: Adapted from L. Miriello, D. Knuffke and Holtzclaw and Holtzclaw
by M. Chirby
Chapter 8: An Introduction to Metabolism
1. Contrast catabolic and anabolic pathways.
2. Define the following terms:
a. Energy
b. Kinetic energy
c. Heat/thermal energy
d. Chemical energy
e. Thermodynamics
f. First Law of Thermodynamics
g. Second Law of Thermodynamics
h. Free Energy
3. Contrast exergonic and endergonic reactions in terms of: free energy, stability, capacity to do
work.
4. How do you know if a reaction is spontaneous?
5. Can a closed system at equilibrium do work? Why or why not?
Page 9 of 12
Unit 1 Reading Guide: Adapted from L. Miriello, D. Knuffke and Holtzclaw and Holtzclaw
by M. Chirby
6. List and give an example three main kinds of cellular work done by ATP.
7.
8. Label the diagram below and indicate how cellular work is done by ATP.
9. Define phosphorylated.
10. In your own works, explained the concept of coupled reactions and ATP doing work.
11. What is the relationship between exergonic reactions, endergonic reactions and the use and
regeneration of ATP?
12. What is activation energy?
Page 10 of 12
Unit 1 Reading Guide: Adapted from L. Miriello, D. Knuffke and Holtzclaw and Holtzclaw
by M. Chirby
13. Label the diagrams below including the change in free energy.
14. i. Define the following terms:
a. Substrate
b. Enzyme substrate complex
c. Active site
d. Induced fit
ii. Label the diagram:
15. How do temperate and pH (specifically) affect
enzyme activity?
16. Compare and contrast competitive and noncompetitive inhibitors.
17. What is allosteric regulation and how does assist in the regulation of metabolism?
Page 11 of 12
Unit 1 Reading Guide: Adapted from L. Miriello, D. Knuffke and Holtzclaw and Holtzclaw
by M. Chirby
18. What is cooperativity?
19. How does feedback inhibition work?
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