Describe the major classes of small biological molecules: amino acids, sugars, lipids, and nucleotides.

Do not include the question(s) on your essays and exams.
250 WORDS PER QUESTION

Question 1: Biomolecules (25 points)
Describe the major classes of small biological molecules: amino acids, sugars, lipids, and nucleotides. Include in your answer:
a. a comparison of similarities and differences between the concepts of electron shells, the octet rule, and electron orbitals
b. a description of sp3 hybrid orbitals and how they influence the shapes of molecules
c. a description of carbon skeletons of small biological molecules and how adding functional groups change their properties and
defines the major biological molecular classes

Question 2: Enzymes and Bioenergetics (25 points)
Describe the structure and roles of enzymes in metabolic pathways. Include in your answer:
a. the structure of proteins, enzyme function, and the roles of coenzymes, cofactors and allosteric regulators
b. a description of coupled reactions that drive metabolic pathways and the reasons that some molecules are unstable
c. a description of the structure of ATP, the reasons for which it is unstable, and the role(s) of the phosphate group once
transferred to another molecule

Question 3: Chloroplast and Mitochondrion (25 points)
Describe the structure and function of the chloroplast and mitochondrion. Include in your answer:
a. a description of each compartment, the membranes, and the localized activities of both organelles
b. the special properties of chlorophyll and the mechanism of action of the light harvesting complex in the chloroplast
c. the sequences of events in both electron transport chains from electron sources to the electron sinks and the roles of NADH
and NADPH

Question 4: DNA Structure and Function (25 points)
Describe the evidence for the fact that DNA is the genetic material and the sequence of events leading from the sequence of
nucleotides of DNA to the sequence of amino acids in proteins and their secretion. Include in your answer:
a. the early evidence for the location of genes on chromosomes, the first evidence that DNA was the genetic material, and that
genes determined the structure of proteins
b. a description of the mechanisms and structures involved in of transcription and translation
c. a description of the cellular structures involved in protein synthesis and secretion

References
Immediately following the essay, two lines below the last line of your essay, list all sources used in writing your essay to answer the
question. Do not use in-text citations and do not use footnotes. Simply list your sources in this “References” section. You must have
a References section with at least five references which you have used in preparing your answers: the course textbook, and at least
four additional sources. If you do not include a References section, you will lose 10 points (2 points for each missing source). Be sure
to include the References section with your submission to Turnitin. If you forget, you are able to re-submit until the deadline, but not
after.

Last Completed Projects