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Anatomy & Physiology Module 2: Chemistry and Cellular Biology

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Terms in this set (31)

  • What percentage of the human body mass is water and why is it important?
    Water makes up 60-80% of human body mass and acts as the body's universal solvent because it dissolves many solutes.
  • What type of molecule is water and how does it dissolve solutes?
    Water is a polar covalent molecule with oxygen partially negative and hydrogen partially positive, allowing it to dissolve polar and ionic solutes.
  • Define acids and bases in terms of hydrogen ions (H+).
    Acids are hydrogen ion donors that increase H+ concentration; Bases are hydrogen ion acceptors that decrease H+ concentration.
  • What does the pH scale represent and what are the ranges for acidic, neutral, and basic solutions?
    pH represents H+ concentration on a scale from 0-14; pH 7 is neutral, pH < 7 is acidic, and pH > 7 is basic (alkaline).
  • What is a buffer and what is the major buffer system in the human body?
    A buffer resists pH changes; the major buffer in the body is the bicarbonate (HCO3-) system.
  • What are salts and electrolytes in the body?
    Salts are ionic compounds that dissociate into cations and anions called electrolytes, which conduct electrical current.
  • What are the four major types of organic compounds in the body?
    The four major organic compounds are carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids.
  • What is the monomer of carbohydrates and their primary function?
    Monosaccharides are carbohydrate monomers; carbohydrates primarily function as energy sources.
  • What is glycogen and where is it stored?
    Glycogen is a polysaccharide storage polymer of glucose, stored mainly in skeletal muscle and liver cells.
  • Describe saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fatty acids.
    Saturated fatty acids have no double bonds; monounsaturated have one double bond; polyunsaturated have two or more double bonds.
  • What is a triglyceride composed of?
    A triglyceride consists of three fatty acids linked to a glycerol molecule.
  • What is the structure and function of phospholipids in the cell membrane?
    Phospholipids have a polar phosphate head and two nonpolar fatty acid tails, vital for the plasma membrane structure.
  • What is cholesterol's role in the body?
    Cholesterol is a steroid that forms the basis of all other steroids and is important for cell membrane fluidity and as a precursor for steroid hormones.
  • What are amino acids and polypeptides?
    Amino acids are protein monomers; polypeptides are chains of amino acids forming proteins.
  • Name the four levels of protein structure.
    Primary (amino acid sequence), Secondary (alpha helix or beta-pleated sheet), Tertiary (3D shape), Quaternary (multiple polypeptide chains).
  • What are nucleic acids and their monomers?
    Nucleic acids (DNA and RNA) are polymers made of nucleotides as monomers.
  • What bases are found in DNA and how do they pair?
    DNA bases: Adenine (A), Thymine (T), Cytosine (C), Guanine (G). A pairs with T; G pairs with C.
  • How does RNA differ from DNA?
    RNA is single-stranded, contains ribose sugar, and uses uracil (U) instead of thymine (T).
  • What is ATP and its role in the body?
    ATP (adenosine triphosphate) is the main energy source for cellular processes.
  • Describe the structure of the plasma membrane.
    The plasma membrane is a phospholipid bilayer with hydrophilic phosphate heads facing outward and hydrophobic fatty acid tails facing inward.
  • What are the main functions of membrane proteins?
    Membrane proteins function as channels, carriers, receptors, enzymes, anchors, and facilitate cell adhesion.
  • What is selective permeability of the plasma membrane?
    Selective permeability allows certain molecules to cross while blocking others, enabling controlled transport.
  • Differentiate between passive and active transport.
    Passive transport requires no energy and moves substances down their concentration gradient; active transport requires energy to move substances against their gradient.
  • What are the types of passive transport?
    Diffusion, facilitated diffusion, osmosis, and filtration.
  • How does facilitated diffusion work?
    Facilitated diffusion uses membrane proteins (channels or carriers) to move charged or polar solutes down their concentration gradient.
  • Describe the sodium-potassium pump function.
    The pump uses ATP to move 3 Na+ out and 2 K+ into the cell, maintaining concentration gradients essential for membrane potential.
  • What is membrane potential?
    Membrane potential is the electrical potential difference across the plasma membrane, with the inside of the cell more negative at rest.
  • What is secondary active transport?
    Secondary active transport uses energy stored in concentration gradients of one substance to drive transport of another against its gradient.
  • What are vesicles and their role in active transport?
    Vesicles are small sacs that transport large molecules or particles via endocytosis or exocytosis, requiring ATP.
  • Differentiate between phagocytosis and pinocytosis.
    Phagocytosis is 'cell eating' of large particles; pinocytosis is 'cell drinking' of fluid droplets.
  • What is exocytosis?
    Exocytosis is the process of vesicles fusing with the plasma membrane to release contents outside the cell.