Hielly's biology questions!!

[Hielly]

hey VNers,
Just have questions for biology
these are the question.

1.the macromolecules that are polymers are.... (Carbohydrate, protein and nucleic acids?)
2.Describe by means of an annotated diagram, the process of condensation polymerization of an example used in the text.
All i know is, from the textbook (Nelson biology)- "monomers link together when the hydroxl group of one monomer reacts with a hydrogen atom of another monomer,forming a water molecule, thus the reaction is called condensation polymerisation"
how would i describe by means of an annotated diagram?, and also can someone tell me specifically what polymerization is?

Crossword problems
1.kind of essential fatty acid linked to reduced incidence of disease such as cardiovascular disease.
6 letters, starting with 'O'.

2.compound composed of protein and complex carbohydrate that makes up the cell wall of bacteria
6 letters, ending in 'N'

3.the strucutural units of organisms.
need confirmation on this one is it genes?[/]

Thanks heaps

[polky]

2) Polymerization is the process whereby monomers are combined to form polymers, such as amino acids join together to form protein chains.  You could draw a more chem based diagram (using your chem knowledge ) with two monomers and the O-H and H forming H2O, although I doubt that level of knowledge would be required for the biology exam.

Crossword 3) I don't actually know the answer (have forgotten most of my biology stuff) but I'm pretty sure the answer isn't genes.

[Hielly]

Thanks polky

[Hielly]

ohh its cells!

[NE2000]

Apologies if I get any of this wrong, I might have lost some biological knowledge since finishing the subject

1. Polysaccharides, polypeptides and nucleic acids (or in chemistry they tell us polynucleotides)
Be careful with polysaccharides and carbohydrates, carbohydrates includes monosaccharides, disaccharides and oligosaccharides while we tend to look at polysaccharides as having >50 glucose molecules. In an exam once, it asked for the polymer name and carbohydrate was marked wrong

2. Annotated diagram: I would draw say an amino acid (NH2-CR-COOH) and another one and then put circles around the OH and H that are reacting, then an arrow, then draw the C-O-N peptide link forming in the middle and the water molecule coming out, all annotated properly

Polymerisation is the process by which polymers are formed, it is known as condensation polymerisation because it produces a water molecule. The opposite is hydrolysis. Your studies on 1/2 chemistry should help you fully understand this element of 3/4 biology

1. Forgot, sorry

2. Plant cell wall = cellulose, fungal cell wall = chitin, bacterial cell wall = peptidoglycan

3. Cells = the basic functional unit of life and is what I would go with at this stage of the biology course

Hope that helps, the peptidoglycan one is not 'need-to-know' but I went around gaining all this extra knowledge in biology so anywayz...

[NE2000]

Polky beat me to it

[Hielly]

hey Ne2000,
for this
1. Polysaccharides, polypeptides and nucleic acids (or in chemistry they tell us polynucleotides)
Be careful with polysaccharides and carbohydrates, carbohydrates includes monosaccharides, disaccharides and oligosaccharides while we tend to look at polysaccharides as having >50 glucose molecules. In an exam once, it asked for the polymer name and carbohydrate was marked wrong

the questions asks me which classes of macromolucules are polymers, so the classes are
proteins,nucleic acid,carbohydrate and lipids.

So nucleic acid would be one and ...

[polky]

Nucleic acid, proteins and carbohydrates.  Not lipids!

(Again a warning that this could be wrong.  But I distinctly remember lipids NOT being a polymer.)

[NE2000]

Nucleic acid, proteins and carbohydrates.  Not lipids!

(Again a warning that this could be wrong.  But I distinctly remember lipids NOT being a polymer.)

correct

[Hielly]

Yerh i know for sure lipids is not a polymer.. but not sure about the others.. confirmation?

[Hielly]

oh ok thanks NE2000

[Hielly]

i found this moving image, would this explain it?for no.2
http://www.uwsp.edu/chemistry/tzamis/petpolymeranimate.gif

also i think the essential acid one might be omega 3? confirm?

[shinny]

Crossword 1: Did you mean 6 letters? Can't imagine it being 6 words long.  Anyhow, I'm pretty certain it'd be some variation of omega-3, omega three etc.

[Hielly]

sorry i meant 6 letters ><

[NE2000]

Crossword 1: Did you mean 6 letters? Can't imagine it being 6 words long.  Anyhow, I'm pretty certain it'd be some variation of omega-3, omega three etc.

ah yes...support shinjitsuzx on that (as long as the 3 doesn't intersect with another word)