Biology 121 study concepts for Chapter 2 material

  1. What is the meaning of the following: matter, energy, potential energy, kinetic energy, element, atom, proton, neutron, electron, orbital, atomic number, mass number, isotope, radioisotope, alpha particles, beta particles, gamma rays, transmutation, half-life, molecule, compound, mixture, solution, solvent, solute, molarity, mole, colloid, suspension, inert, ionic bond, cation, anion, covalent bond, nonpolar molecule, polar molecule, hydrogen bond, reactant, product, synthesis reaction, decomposition reaction, exchange (displacement) reaction, catalyst, enzyme, salt, acid, base, pH, buffer?
  2. What is the importance of protons, neutrons and electrons in an atom?
  3. If you are given the atomic number and mass number of an atom, can you calculate the number of protons, neutrons, and electrons it will contain? Can you describe how it will bond with another atom?
  4. What are applications of radioisotopes to medicine?
  5. How do you figure out a percent weight solution? A percent volume solution?
  6. How can you figure the molarity of a solution?
  7. How many electrons can fit into the different energy shells of an atom? How many is needed in the outer shell in order for an atom to be stable?
  8. Why do some atoms lose electrons to form ions while others gain electrons to form ions?
  9. How many electrons are shared in a single covalent bond? A double covalent bond? A triple covalent bond?
  10. Which of the bonds is the strongest? The weakest?
  11. What is the difference between polar covalent bonds and nonpolar covalent bonds?
  12. Can you recognize how chemical reactions are written and what the symbols mean?
  13. What factors influence the rate of chemical reactions?
  14. What are properties of water that make it important to life?
  15. How can you recognize an acid or base by its chemical formula?
  16. What do the numbers on the pH scale mean? Where is an acid on the scale? A base?
  17. What is meant by acidosis or alkalosis?
  18. What are the four major biological macromolecule groups, and what are their characteristics?
  19. What are the three major types of carbohydrates, and what are they used for? What are examples?
  20. What are the four major types of lipids, and what are they used for? What are examples?
  21. What is the difference between structural and functional proteins? What are examples?
  22. What are the four levels of structure of proteins, and what do they represent?
  23. How do enzymes work?
  24. What are examples of nucleic acids, and what are they made of?