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Name __________________________________

Chem 452 - Fall 2012 - Quiz 1

1. Short answers:
a. Who is credited with disproving the Vital Force Theory in biology by demonstrating that a
biologically associated, organic molecule (urea) could be synthesized from a non-biological salt
(ammonium cyanate)?
________________________________
Fredrich Whler

10/10 b. Who was the first to publish a proposed structure for DNA? (Hint: It is not Watson &
Crick.) ________________________________
Linus Pauling (and Robert Corey)

c. Cite two pieces of evidence that support the theory that all current life forms evolved from a
common ancestor.
i. All living organisms share the same major macromolecules (DNA and proteins), which are
made of the same building blocks (nucleotides and amino acids).

All living organisms share the genetic code for translating a nucleotide sequence into a
protein sequence.
ii.
The more closely related two organisms are to one another, the more similar the sequences
are for proteins that carry out the same function in the two organisms.

2. Shown to the right is the structure for the amino acid glutamine. This
amino acid has two ionizable groups, shown here in their protonated
O
(acidic) forms. H 3N CH C
a. What is the pH of a 0.05 M solution of glutamic acid when pKa = 9.67
CH2
OH pKa = 2.35
dissolved in its fully protonated form? (Hint: Consider only the
effect of the most acidic of the two ionizable groups.) CH2

To the first approximation, the hydrogen ion concentration, [H+],

for a weak acid is C
9/9 equal to the square root of the product of the acide dissociation constant, Ka, and O NH2
the concentration C:
H+ = K a C = 10 pK a C

= 10 2.35 0.05 M = 1.49 x 10 2 M

( )
pH = -log H+ = -log (1.49 x 10 2 ) = 1.83

14
b. Sketch the titration curve for glutamine,
13
starting with its fully protonated form, as two pH = 9.67
12
equivalents of NaOH are added to a 0.05 M
11
solution of glutamine.
10

c. What is the net charge on glutamine after 2 9

equivalents of NaOH have been added? 8

(2.35 + 9.67 ) = 6.01
7 pH =
pH

2
Net charge = ____________________
1 6
5
pH = 2.35
4

3

2
pH = 1.83 1

0
0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0
Equivalents of NaOH

1
 Chem 452 Quiz 1 Fall, 2012

3. The side chains of the amino acids used to build proteins present a wide range of options for non-
covalent interactions. Below are some examples of amino acid side chains, as they exist at pH 7:
leucine asparagine arginine threonine Glutamate

CH2 CH2 CH2 CH2 CH2

CH CH3 C CH2 CH OH CH2

6/6 CH3
O NH2
CH2 CH3 C
O O
NH

C NH2

NH2

a. For each non-covalent interaction listed below, use the chemical structures of the amino
acid side chains shown above to illustrate each interaction. An example is shown. You
may use the same amino acid twice for a given example.

Interaction Example

Asparagine
Serine
CH2
Hydrogen bonding CH2
C
O H O NH2

arginine

CH2
glutamate
CH2
CH2
Charge/Charge CH2
CH2
NH
C
C NH2 O O

NH2

leucine

CH2 leucine

Hydrophobic CH CH3 CH2

Interactions CH3 H3C CH

CH3

asparagine asparagine

CH2 CH2
A second example of C C
Hydrogen bonding O N H O N H

H H