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General Biology: Water and Carbon Molecular Diversity

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  • What type of bonds form between water molecules?
    Hydrogen bonds form between water molecules due to polarity.
  • Name four emergent properties of water.
    Cohesion, adhesion, moderation of temperature, and use as a universal solvent.
  • What causes water's cohesion and adhesion properties?
    Water's polarity and ability to form hydrogen bonds cause cohesion and adhesion.
  • Why does ice float on liquid water?
    Ice is less dense because stable hydrogen bonds form a lattice structure that spaces molecules farther apart.
  • What is the significance of ice floating for aquatic life?
    Ice insulates liquid water below, allowing life to survive under frozen surfaces.
  • Define specific heat and its importance in water.
    Specific heat is the energy needed to raise 1 gram of a substance by 1°C; water's high specific heat stabilizes temperatures.
  • What is heat of vaporization and why is it high for water?
    Heat of vaporization is energy to convert liquid to gas; water's hydrogen bonds require more energy to break.
  • Why is water called the universal solvent?
    Water dissolves many substances due to its polarity and ability to form hydration shells around solutes.
  • What is the difference between solute and solvent?
    Solute is the substance dissolved; solvent is the substance doing the dissolving, usually water.
  • Define homogeneous and heterogeneous solutions.
    Homogeneous solutions are uniformly mixed; heterogeneous solutions have unevenly distributed components.
  • What does hydrophilic mean?
    Hydrophilic substances dissolve in water due to affinity, often polar or charged molecules.
  • What does hydrophobic mean?
    Hydrophobic substances do not dissolve in water, usually nonpolar molecules like fats and oils.
  • How do acids affect hydrogen ion concentration in solution?
    Acids increase the concentration of H+ ions in solution.
  • How do bases affect hydrogen ion concentration in solution?
    Bases decrease H+ concentration by accepting H+ or releasing OH- ions.
  • What is the pH scale range and what does it measure?
    pH ranges from 0 to 14 and measures the concentration of hydrogen ions in a solution.
  • What pH value is neutral and what does it mean for H+ and OH- concentrations?
    pH 7 is neutral; H+ concentration equals OH- concentration.
  • What role do buffers play in biological systems?
    Buffers resist changes in pH by donating or accepting H+ ions to maintain stable conditions.
  • Which element is the most abundant in living systems after water?
    Carbon is the most abundant element in living systems excluding water.
  • What defines an organic molecule?
    Organic molecules contain covalently bonded carbon and hydrogen atoms.
  • Why is carbon an excellent building block for molecules?
    Carbon forms four covalent bonds allowing diverse structures: varying length, branching, double bonds, and rings.
  • What are functional groups in organic molecules?
    Functional groups are reactive groups of atoms attached to carbon backbones that determine molecule properties.
  • Name common biological functional groups.
    Hydroxyl (-OH), carbonyl (C=O), carboxyl (-COOH), amino (-NH2), sulfhydryl (-SH), phosphate (-PO4), and methyl (-CH3).