Biology

1. Describe the importance of carbon to life’s molecular diversity.

Every life form on earth, every living thing is carbon based, carbons ability to branch out in up to four different directions with four different atoms is unique and is why it is so important to molecular diversity. Carbon based molecules or also called organic

2. Describe the chemical groups that are important to life.

Hydroxyl group—consists of a hydrogen bonded to an oxygen,

Carbonyl group—a carbon linked by a double bond to an oxygen atom,

Carboxyl group—consists of a carbon double-bonded to both an oxygen and a hydroxyl group,

Amino group—composed of a nitrogen bonded to two hydrogen atoms and the carbon skeleton, and

Phosphate group—consists of a phosphorus atom bonded to four oxygen atoms

3. Explain how a cell can make a variety of large molecules from a small set of molecules.

Monomers are linked together to form polymers through dehydration reactions, which remove water.

4. Define monosaccharides, disaccharides, and polysaccharides and explain their functions.

Sugar monomers are monosaccharides used as raw materials to manufacture other organic molecules. Polysaccharides are long chains of sugar units Polysaccharides may function as storage molecules or structural compounds. Two monosaccharides (monomers) can bond to form a disaccharide in a dehydration reaction

5. Define lipids, phospholipids, and steroids and explain their functions.

Lipids are water insoluble (hydrophobic, or water-fearing) compounds.

Phospholipids are structurally similar to fats and the major component of all cells

Steroids are lipids in which the carbon skeleton contains four fused rings.

6. Describe the chemical structure of proteins and their importance to cells.

Proteins are composed of differing arrangements of a common set of just 20 amino acid monomers, probably the most important role for proteins is as enzymes, proteins that serve as metabolic catalysts and regulate the chemical...