Chemistry 303

Reading Assignment

Chapters 1-2
Chapter 1 should be review from previous chemistry and biology courses. We wont spend much
time on it in class, though most of these topics will be covered in detail in later chapters. You
should have a general familiarity with the following ideas.
Section 1.1
Cellular structures and their functions (pictures on pages 6 and 7)
Energy sources for different types of cells (phototrophs, chemotrophs, autotrophs,
heterotrophs)
What amino acids, nucleic acids, lipids, and sugars are
Section 1.2
You should have a general idea of the main elements essential for life
Know the main functional groups and their behaviors (page 13)
Know the main biological macromolecules: proteins, nucleic acids, lipids, and
polysaccharides. What are the important parts of each?
The relationship between 3D shape and function is a key concept in biochemistry
Make sure you remember cis/trans isomers, enantiomers, and diastereomers from organic
Section 1.3
What is the difference between open and closed systems and how do they relate to the 1st
Law of Thermodynamics? Is an organism an open or closed system?
What does the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics say about entropy? How does entropy relate
to cellular function?
How will organisms use a favorable reaction to drive an unfavorable one?
How do Keq and G relate to each other and spontaneous reactions?
What is the difference between thermodynamic and kinetic stability? Why do large
biological macromolecules exist if they are thermodynamically unstable?
Section 1.4
Be familiar with the general structure of the DNA double helix.
What are the 4 bases and which ones pair up with each other?
How many H-bonds between A/T and G/C? How does this impact stability?
How does DNA code for making proteins?
Section 1.5
How have mutations in DNA replication led to genetic diversity and have driven
evolution over a span of billions of years?
Very few changes in the genome between species or individuals of the same species can
lead to drastic differences

Chapter 1 HW questions: 6-9, 11, 13 (just get the structure), 14-15

Section 2.1
You should be able to sketch a water molecule, diagram its polarity, and show it hbonding to another molecule (including water or any other polar molecule)
How does water align itself around ions? What happens when you put something
nonpolar in water?
What are amphipathic compounds, and how do they align in water?
Lipid clusters and micelles are important in biochemistry. You should remember what
they are from past bio classes and understand how and why they form in aqueous
environments.
You should know the types of noncovalent interactions (table 2-5) and how they help
form the 3D structure of a biomolecule.
What are colligative properties, and how do they change with solute concentration?
You should know what osmosis is, what causes it, and what happens to cells in hypotonic
and hypertonic environments. Isotonic solutions are an important consideration for many
biochemical experiments.
Section 2.2
Why does pure water contain more than just H2O molecules?
You should know how water is related to the pH scale and how to calculate pH from
equilibrium constants.
What pH values are acidic and basic, and how do those relate to [H3O]+ and [OH]-? How
do these relate to Ka and pKa (or Kb and pKb)?
What are conjugate acids and bases?
Understand how we can use titrations to get the pKa of an amino acid or protein. This is a
common technique used in biochemistry.
Section 2.3
Know what a buffer is made of, what it does, and why that is important for biological
systems.
Be able to use the Henderson-Hasselbalch equation to do a variety of buffer calculations.
How does a buffers pKa relate to its effectiveness at various pH levels?
Section 2.4
Water is involved in many biological reactions. Know what condensation and hydrolosis
reactions are and be able to recognize and predict them.
Section 2.5
Know the various ways water is essential to life.
Chapter 2 HW questions: 1-3, 7-9, 11-15, 17-18, 22, 25-26, 30, 32-33