Course Calendar

Biology 12 Honours - Water, pH & Biochemistry Test Outline

What you need to know...

Learning Outcomes
  • describe the characteristics of water and its role in biological systems
  • describe how the polarity of the water molecule results in hydrogen bonding
  • differentiate among acids, bases, and buffers
  • describe the importance of pH to biological systems in the human body
  • demonstrate a knowledge of dehydration synthesis and
  • hydrolysis as applied to organic monomers and polymers
  • differentiate among carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids with respect to chemical structure
  • recognize the following molecules in structural diagrams:
    • – adenosine triphosphate (ATP)
    • – deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)
    • – disaccharide
    • – glucose
    • – glycerol
    • – hemoglobin
    • – monosaccharide
    • – neutral fat
    • – phospholipid
    • – polysaccharide (starch, glycogen, and cellulose)
    • – ribose
    • – RNA
    • – saturated and unsaturated fatty acids
    • – steroids
  • recognize the empirical formula of a monosaccharide as CnH2nOn
  • list the main functions of carbohydrates
  • differentiate among monosaccharides (e.g., glucose),  disaccharides (e.g., maltose), and polysaccharides
  • differentiate among starch, cellulose, and glycogen with respect to
    • – function
    • – type of bonding
    • – level of branching
  • describe the location, structure, and function of the following in the human body:
    • – neutral fats
    • – steroids
    • – phospholipids
  • compare saturated and unsaturated fatty acids in terms of molecular structure
  • list the major functions of proteins
  • draw a generalized amino acid and identify the amine, acid (carboxyl), and R-groups
  • identify the peptide bonds in dipeptides and polypeptides
  • differentiate among the following levels of protein organization with respect to structure and types of bonding:
    • – primary
    • – secondary (alpha helix, beta pleated sheet)
    • – tertiary
    • – quaternary (e.g., hemoglobin)
  • name the four nitrogenous bases in ribonucleic acid (RNA) and describe the structure of RNA using the following terms:
    • – nucleotide (ribose, phosphate, nitrogenous base, adenine, uracil, cytosine, guanine)
    • – linear, single stranded
    • – sugar-phosphate backbone
  • name the four nitrogenous bases in DNA and describe the structure of DNA using the following terms:
    • – nucleotide (deoxyribose, phosphate, nitrogenous base, adenine, thymine, cytosine, guanine)
    • – complementary base pairing
    • – double helix
    • – hydrogen bonding
    • – sugar-phosphate backbone
  • compare the general structural composition of DNA and RNA
  • relate the general structure of the ATP molecule to its role as the “energy currency” of cells

WRITTEN TEST Questions:
  1. Draw two water molecules. Label hydrogen bonding, covalent bonding and partial charges.
  2. Describe how the polarity of water results in hydrogen bonding.
  3. Describe one property of water and explain it's role in biological systems.
  4. Using the equation below, explain what happens to an alkaline solution (basic) when you blow into it with a straw. Why does this change in pH occur more quickly if you exercise before blowing into the alkaline solution?


5. Create a chart or a mind map to show the connections between the following terms. Clearly indicate the relationships using linking words on your arrows.

amino acids, ATP, carbohydrates, cellulose, dehydration synthesis, disaccharides, DNA, fatty acids, glucose, glycerol, glycogen, hydrolysis, lipids, maltose, monomer, monosaccharides, nucleic acids, nucleotides, peptide bond, phospholipid, polymer, proteins, polysaccharides, triglycerides, peptides, RNA, steroid, water


Example of a mind map: