as 2 mfor example, the axons that originate in your spinal cord and terminate in the muscles of your toes.

Small membrane-enclosed vesicles carrying materials essential to axonal function move along microtubules of the cytoskeleton, from the cell body to the tips of the axons. If the average velocity of a vesicle is 1 mm/s, how long does it take a vesicle to move from a cell body in the spinal cord to the axonal tip in the toes?

BIOC6007 Worksheet 1

Answer Transport time equals distance traveled/velocity, or

6 6

2 10 Biomolecular Structure (2 10 mm)/(1 mm/s)Bonding.s and Chemical or about 23 days! 6. Is Synthetic Vitamin C as Good as the Natural Vitamin? A claim put forth by some purveyors of Biochemistry (or the introductory chapters of an equivalent health foods is that vitamins obtained from natural sources are more healthful than those obtained by text). chemical synthesis. For example, pure L-ascorbic acid (vitamin C) extracted from rose hips is better than pure L-ascorbic acid manufactured in a chemical plant. Are the vitamins from the two sources different? Can the body distinguish a vitamins source?

Reference: Chapters 1, 2 and 3 of Lehninger Principles of

ANSWERS TO BE SUBMITTED ELECTRONICALLY VIA TURNITIN BEFORE vitaminlike LECTUREcompoundare determined by its Answer The properties of theTHE NEXT any other molecules BIOC6007the two Qschemical structure. Because and formsources are structurally identical, Worksheet vitamin Forcesfrom 1
their properties are identical, and no organism can distinguish between them. If different vitamin preparations contain ethanol (CH3CH2OH) is QF1. Explain why different impurities, the biological moreeffectssoluble mixtures than is with of the in water may Q1. The properties and biological activities of biomolecules are largely varyethane the source. acid in such preparations, however, is identical.

(CH3CH3). by their determinedThe ascorbicfunctional groups, it is important to be able to identify them. Using the figure given on page 3 (Figures 1 15 of Lehninger) which 7. IdentificationFigures 115 and 116 in 115 andshow some common functional groups QF2. some common functional groups 116 and identify by name each shows of Functional Groups Figures Lehningercircle show some common functional groups of biomolecules. Because the properties and biological activities of biomolecules are largely deterof biomolecules. Because the properties andable to identify them. Inof biomolecules are minedfunctionalfunctional compounds below. biological activities each of the compounds by their group thegroups, it is important to In each of the compounds below, circle and identify by name each functional group.
H H H H3N C H (a) H C H OH H H C C C H
Glycerol

largely determined name each functional group. below, circle and identify by by their functional groups, it is impo rtant to be able to identify them.
O OH OH OH H
Phosphoenolpyruvate, an intermediate in glucose metabolism

HO H C

P O C

Ethanolamine

(b) O C CH2 CH2 NH C O OH CH3

(c)

H C H HO H H C C C C

NH 3 H OH OH

H3 N H

C C CH3

H OH

H H3C

C C

CH2OH
Pantothenate, a vitamin

CH2 OH
D-Glucosamine

Threonine, an amino acid

(d)

(e)

(f )

QF3. In studying a particular biomolecule (a protein, nucleic acid, carbohy drate, or lipid) in the laboratory, the biochemist first needs to separate it from other biomolecules in the sample that is, to purify it. Specific purification techniques are described later in the course. However, by looking at the monomeric subunits of a biomolecule, particular have some (a about the acid, Q3.To studyayou should biomolecule ideasprotein, nucleic characteristicscarbohydrate, molecule that of or would allow you lipid) in the laboratory, separate biochemistother molecules. other the from first needs to How it youseparate wouldfrom separate (a) amino acids from fatty acids and (b) nucleotides from glucose? QF4. When we cook an egg the proteins denature, but do not degrade. Why? Answer with a definition of molecular denaturation vs degradat ion and discuss the relative resistance of weak forces and strong forces to heating.

biomolecules in the sample that is, to purify it. Specific purification techniques are described later in the course. However, looking at the monomeric subunits of a biomolecule, you should have some ideas about the characteristics of the molecule that would allow you to separate it from other molecules. How would you separate (a) An amino acids from fatty acids (b) nucleotides from glucose? Q4. Why does water have a dipole? Draw a molecule of water to illustrate your answer. Q5. Why is water a good solvent for polar biomolecules such as sugars, nucleic acids and most amino acids? Q6. Describe how the properties of water cause partition of hydrophobic and hydrophilic molecules. (Another way to think about this question is Why do membrane phospholipids and sterols form a bilayer in the presence of water?) Q7. Which type of bond is stronger: A. A hydrogen bond? B. An C -H bond? C. An ionic bond? Q8. Protein folding and protein -protein interactions are mediated primarily by van der Waals, hydrogen bonding and the so -called hydrophobic effect. Why is it important that weak forces, and not strong forces, mediate biomolecular recognition? Q9. Acetic acid is a weak acid and in water is in equilibrium between a neutral form and an ionized form. CH3COOH CH3COO- + H+ If the pKa of acetic acid is approximately 4.5. What fraction of the acetic acid will be in the neutral (uncharged form) at a) pH 3.5 b) 4.5 and c) 5.5 Q10. Explain why the amino acid Alanine is chiral whereas the amino acid Glycine is not.