Exam 3: The Chemical Building Blocks of Life

$\alpha$ - glucose is present in potatoes and $\beta$ - glucose is present in wood. Both are glucose molecules but one can be used by humans to synthesize ATP and one cannot. Based on this information, what is the best explanation on why humans can only digest one of the glucose types?

Fructose and galactose both have six carbon atoms, twelve hydrogen atoms and six oxygen atoms, just like glucose. A friend of yours says: "Since those sugars have the same number of atoms, they should have the same name." You answer: "While they do have the same number and type of atoms,

Which reaction illustrates a hydrolysis reaction?

What is the difference in the bonding between alpha-helix and beta sheets?

In a phospholipid, the phosphate would be found in which part of a membrane?

Which type of RNA is used as a template for translation of proteins?

Benedict's reagent is a chemical that is used as a test for the presence of a free aldehyde functional group on glucose. The aldehyde is used when glucose and fructose bind together to form sucrose, and the Benedict's test is negative. Starch contains a great deal of glucose but gives a negative Benedict's test because:

Margarine is made by hydrogenating vegetable oils so that they take on the consistency of butter. Propose a chemical basis for this change from a liquid to a solid.

L-lysine is an essential amino acid and must be supplied in the diet. By comparison, the stereoisomer D-lysine is not biologically active. Why can your body only utilize one form?

Hemoglobin transports oxygen in the blood and consists of a chain of 146 amino acids. If amino acids were incorporated into hemoglobin in the same proportions, approximately how many alanine residues would you predict to find in hemoglobin?

High temperatures can cause proteins in a cell to denature. This can be reversed by heat shock proteins that function as _______.

Which reaction illustrates a dehydration reaction?

People who are lactose intolerant can often consume some products made from milk such as cheese and yogurt. By comparison, people with a true milk allergy, which involves an immune response to milk protein, cannot consume milk or products made from milk. Given this information, what can you conclude about milk?