General Bio Study Guide – Introduction, Properties of Life and Chemistry (Ch 2)

This study guide should not be considered all inclusive, but should give you a good start preparing for the exam. Keep in mind that anything from the lecture or the text is fair game. The chapter review questions in your text are valuable study tools too… There will be a review day on the last class day before the exam. Please come to class with questions over the material, so I can answer them on our review day!

Ch 2.

-You should be familiar with the Bohr model of the atom. How does the number of valence electrons affect the behavior of a chemical element?

-What is electronegativity? Why is it important in describing chemical behavior? How is this important in describing water’s behavior?

-Be able to distinguish ionic, polar covalent, nonpolar covalent and hydrogen bonds. How does Electronegativity affect this?

-What are hydrogen bonds and why do they form?

-Be able to discuss the different characteristics of water that make life possible.

-What are organic compounds?

-What are the characteristics of carbon that make life possible?

-What are functional groups?

-What are polymers? Dehydration synthesis? Hydrolysis? How are these all related?

-What are the 4 groups of organic compounds? Be able to describe and distinguish each from the others.

-Be able to compare and contrast sugars, starches, glycogen, and cellulose.

-What is hydrogenation? What are Trans-Fats? How does a saturated lipid differ from an unsaturated one? Which is a liquid at room temperature? Which is typically healthier?

-What are the key features of nucleotides (what are they composed of)? What are nucleic acids and what are they used for biologically?

-What are the key features of all amino acids? How many are there?

-What is a peptide bond?

-How are the shapes of proteins related to their functions?

-What is an enzyme? What is denaturation?

-What is activation energy? How do enzymes work?

Not in Chapter

-You should be aware of and able to hierarchically organize the different levels of organization and what you might be studying if you were to look at a specific level.

-What are the 7 key features common to all living things?

-Know what was tested in the lab, the properties of life demonstrated by the yeast in the lab