Characteristics of Life and Biochemistry
1. Define:
Assimilation - The process by which living organisms take in materials from their environment and reorganize them for their use. Assimilation involves catabolism and anabolism.
Protoplasm - Protoplasm may be defined as living substance, or as the material from which all cells are made. It is the physical and chemical basis for life and changes in composition over time. It is alive and dynamic.
Electrolyte - A substance that dissociates in water to form ions. For example, table salt (NaCl) will form Na+ and Cl- ions that are fused in solution and able to conduct electricity.
Polysaccharide - A long chain carbohydrate made up of many (ten or more) simple sugars (monosaccharides) that have been joined together via condensation reactions. Polysaccharides are generally not water soluble and not sweet to the taste. They are used as food storage and/or structural components.
Triglyceride - Triglycerides are lipids that are made up of three fatty acid chains attached to a glycerol "backbone". The types of fatty acids involved is variable and will influence the consistency of the triglyceride.
2. Several answers are possible here, the characteristics common to all living organisms include the ability to reproduce (sexually/asexually), grow via assimilation, carry out metabolic processes (catabolism/anabolism), show response to environmental stimuli ( irritability/adaptation), mutate, and maintain a high degree of organization.
3. assimilation/mutate
4. protoplasm
5. C,H,O,P,K,I,N,S,Ca,Fe,Mg,Na,Cl
6. cations
7. anions
8. water
9. hydrolysis/condensation - (hydro=water, lysis=to split) is the cleavage or splitting of an organic compound by the addition of water. The water is also split, with the hydroxyl (OH) group binding to one portion of the organic compound, and the hydrogen (H) binding to the other. In condensation or dehydration synthesis reactions, water is removed from organic compounds (the OH from one and the H from another) and the two organic compounds join together.
10. carbohydrates/hexose monosaccharides/polysaccharides
11. pentose monosaccharides
12. disaccharides/polysaccharides
13. amino acids/ quaternary
14. water/ peptide
15. triglycerides
16. saturated/ carbon-carbon double bonds
17. phospholipids/ amphipathic or amphiphilic
18. nucleic acids/ Nucleotides that are used to form nucleic acids (DNA and RNA) serve as the genetic information of cells and viruses. Other functions of nucleotides include: 1) they may be used to form high energy compounds (ATP, GTP, etc.); 2) they may be used to make coenzymes (enzyme helpers) such as NAD, FAD, and NADP; 3) they may be used as regulatory molecules such as cyclic-AMP or cyclic-GMP.
19. nucleotides/ coenzymes/ ATP, GTP, etc.
20. E,L,G,K,I,A,C,J,D,F
Copyright 2002 Sierra College Biological Sciences Department
Last updated: 09/25/04.
