Ashley Yang

September 9, 2014
Biology 105
Assignment#1
1. Name the subatomic particles of an atom. Describe their charge,
atomic mass and their location in the atom.
The subatomic particles of the atom include positively charged protons,
uncharged neutrons, and negatively charged electrons. The protons and the
neutrons are located inside the nucleus of the atom and the electrons orbit
around the nucleus. The majority of an atom is empty space. The atomic
mass is equal to the number of protons plus the number of neutrons within
the nucleus.
2. Explain the difference between an ionic bond and a covalent bond.
In ionic bonds, atoms either donate or take on electrons. In covalent bonds,
atoms share electrons.
3. Relate the properties of water to its polarity and hydrogen bonding
between water molecules.
Water is a solvent for polar molecules. Hydrogen bonds occur between one
hydrogen in a covalent bond and a negatively charged atom. They are
typically weak bonds.
4. On the pH scale which number indicates a basic solution? An acidic
solution? A neutral solution? What makes a solution basic, acidic or
neutral?
On the pH scale, numbers 0-6 indicate an acidic solution while numbers 8-14
indicate a basic solution. Seven is the only number that indicates a neutral
solution. Neutral solutions occur when the hydrogen ion and hydroxide ion
concentrations are equal. If the hydrogen ion is greater than the hydroxide
ion concentration, it is considered an acidic solution. If the hydroxide ion
concentration is greater than the hydrogen ion concentration, it is then
considered a basic solution.
5. What are buffers and why they are important to life? Contrast the
hydrogen ion concentration of acids and bases.
Buffers help to prevent pH changes. They are very important because they
help to maintain pH stability to prevent negative consequences.
6. Contrast the hydrogen ion concentration of acids and bases.

Acids solutions are high in hydrogen ion concentrations while basic solutions
are low in hydrogen ion concentrations.
7. Name, describe and give an example of each class of carbohydrate.
What is the main function of each of the three carbohydrates?
There are three types of carbohydrates. Two of the three are simple
carbohydrates called monosaccharide and disaccharide. The one complex
carbohydrate is called polysaccharides.
Monosaccharides are subunits of carbohydrates that have one carbon ring
and can be found in glucose.
Disaccharides are made by joining two monosaccharides together through a
dehydration reaction. These have 2 carbon rings and an example of a
disaccharide is maltose.
Polysaccharides are made of many carbon rings. Starch and glycogen are
stored forms of glucose that can be found in plants and animals. All three of
these carbohydrates function as both short and long term energy storage.
8. What are the building blocks of proteins? How do these components
bond together to make a protein.
The building blocks of proteins are subunits called amino acids. The central
carbon atom of the amino acid bonds to a hydrogen atom along with three
other groups. These three other groups include an amino group, a carboxyl
group, and an R group. The R group is a variable and changes based on the
type of amino acid.
9. What are the subunits of triglycerides and how the saturated and
unsaturated fatty acids differ from each other?
Triglycerides are composed of a three part structure. This includes glycerol
and three fatty acids. Saturated fatty acids do not have double bonds
between the carbons in the fatty acid. Saturated fatty acids are also solid at
room temperature while unsaturated fatty acids have one or more double
bonds within the fatty acid and are liquid at room temperature.
10.

What structural differences are there between RNA and DNA?

In DNA, the sugar is deoxyribose. The bases include adenine, guanine,

thymine, and cytosine. It also is double-stranded with base pairing and a
helix.
RNA, on the other hand, has ribose for sugar. The bases include adenine,
guanine, uracil, and cytosine. It is single-stranded and does not have a helix.