Chapter 2

A hydrogen atom contains 1 proton, 1 electron, and 0 neutrons. The

atomic number of hydrogen is _____.1
A lake in rural Maine drops in pH from 7 to 5 as a result of acid rain falling
into it. How has the H+ ion concentration changed as a result of the acid
rain? The H+ ion concentration has increased 100 times its starting concentration.
A nasty trick to play on a water strider bug is to add detergent to a puddle
on which the strider is standing. Water striders are light enough to stand
on the water's surface. Adding a detergent or other surfactant to the
puddle would cause the water strider to sink. What must a surfactant do
to change the water surface? It must cause the hydrogen bonds between
surface water molecules to break.
A peptide bond is a ________ bond between two ________. covalent; amino acids
Atoms become stable when: their outermost electron shell is filled to capacity.
Covalent bonds are bonds in which: two atoms share electrons.
DNA is sometimes described as a ladder-shaped molecule. What would be
the BEST description of the composition of the rail portion that runs up
each side of the ladder? a chain of alternating sugars and phosphates
Generally speaking, the greater the number of double bonds in a
triglyceride: the more "kinks" there are in the hydrocarbon tails.
In a nucleic acid, adjacent nucleotides are bound to each other in what
way? phosphate group to sugar
In a phospholipid, the head is _____, and the fatty acid is _____. hydrophilic,
hydrophobic
In the chemical formula 3H2O, how many atoms are there of each
element? 6 hydrogen and 3 oxygen
Ionic bonds form ________________, while covalent bonds form
_________________. compounds; molecules
Nitrogen has the atomic number 7. This means: nitrogen has 7 neutrons, 7
protons, and 7 electrons.
Proteins are an essential component of a healthy diet for humans (and
other animals). Their most common purpose is to serve as: raw material for
growth.
Sucrose (table sugar) and lactose (the sugar found in milk) are examples
of: disaccharides.

Chapter 2
The atomic number of an element is: the number of protons in the nucleus of
one atom.
The atomic number of carbon is 6. Its nucleus MUST contain: 6 protons
The noble gases are a group of chemical elements with very similar
properties. A unique feature of this group of elements is that they are
known to be very inert or unreactive with other chemicals. What is the
best explanation for the low reactivity of these elements? The noble gases
are stable because their outermost (valence) shell of electrons is full.
The primary structure of proteins is often described as "amino acids
connected like beads on a string". In this same vein, which of the following
images best describes a protein's quaternary structure? threads in a cloth
The tendency of water molecules to stick together is called: cohesion.
Water exhibits high levels of cohesion due to the polarity of the molecule
(positively and negatively charged sides). Given this information, which
type of bond is responsible for water's cohesion and which atoms interact
to form this bond? A hydrogen bond between the oxygen of one water molecule
and the hydrogen of another water molecule.
What are the essential components of all nucleotides? only a phosphate
group, a sugar molecule, and a nitrogen-containing molecule
What are the unique properties of water that make it so critical to life?
Cohesion, large heat capacity, low density as a solid, good solvent
What is buffer? a chemical that acts to resist change in pH by either absorbing
excess hydrogen ions or releasing hydrogen ions
What is the difference between a complete and an incomplete protein? A
complete protein contains all of the essential amino acids, whereas an incomplete
protein requires additional consumption of proteins from multiple sources to acquire
all of the amino acids.
What statement about phospholipids is INCORRECT? Because the phosphate
groups repel each other in a phospholipid, they are used as the chief form of shortterm energy in an organism.
Which of the following best explains moderate coastal climates? the high
specific heat of water
Which of the following is not among the big four elements that make up
the human body? Calcium
Which of the following statements about DNA and nucleic acids is TRUE?
All of the options are true.
Which of the following statements about starches is INCORRECT? Starches
taste sweet because they are made from glucose molecules.

Chapter 2
Which of the following statements is FALSE? All fats are lipids. Conversely, all
lipids are also fats.
Why is it common for people to have dramatic weight loss when they first
start on a low calorie diet? The body breaks down glycogen with water
molecules bound to it; much of the weight loss is water loss.