Basic Chemistry and
Biochemistry Concepts for
Biology Students
1. What is the atomic number of sodium? - Answer -11 2. What is the atomic mass of sodium? - Answer
-23 3. Why is a neutral sodium atom not stable? - Answer -because it has 1 valance electron that it
wants to lose to become stable 4. How does an atom become a positive ion? - Answer -it loses
electrons 5. How does an atom become a negative ion? - Answer -it gains electrons 6. What is an
isotope? - Answer -atoms of the same element with different numbers of neutrons 7. Difference
between ionic and covalent bonds? - Answer -ionic bonds transfer and covalent bonds share electrons
8. Which molecule is ionic? - Answer -any metal plus nonmetal ex: NaCl 9. Which molecule is covalent?
- Answer -two nonmetals (ex, h2o or co2 10. What is cohesion? - Answer -Attraction between
molecules of the same substance. 11. What is adhesion? - Answer -Attraction between molecules of
different substances. 12. Which helps plants transport water upward? - Answer -Cohesion and
adhesion (capillary action). 13. What is polarity? - Answer -A molecule having uneven charge
distribution 14. Which molecule is polar? - Answer -water h2o 15. Why is water the universal solvent? -
Answer -Because it is polar and dissolves many substances. 16. What pH range is acidic? - Answer -0-6
17. What pH is neutral? - Answer -7 18. What do acids release in solution? - Answer -H⁺ ions (hydrogen
ions). 19. What do bases release in solution? - Answer -OH⁻ ions (hydroxide ions). 20. Benedict's test
identifies which organic molecule? - Answer -Simple sugars (glucose). 21. Which test turns purple for
proteins? - Answer -Biuret test. 22. Which indicator turns dark blue/black with starch? - Answer -Iodine
(Lugol's iodine). 23. Which test identifies lipids? - Answer -Brown paper test 24. What is the monomer
of proteins? - Answer -amino acids 25. What is the monomer of carbohydrates? - Answer -
monosacchraides 26. What is the monomer of nucleic acids? - Answer -Nucleotides. 27. What are lipids
made of? - Answer -Glycerol + fatty acids. 28. What makes a molecule "organic"? - Answer -It contains
carbon. 29. One function of carbohydrates is... - Answer -Provide quick energy. 30. One function of
lipids is... - Answer -Long-term energy storage. 31. One function of proteins is... - Answer -Build and
repair tissues. 32. One function of nucleic acids is... - Answer -Store and transmit genetic information.
33. What do enzymes do? - Answer -Speed up chemical reactions. 34. What is a chemical reaction? -
Answer -A process where substances are changed into new substances. 35. What is an enzyme's
active site? - Answer -The location where the substrate binds. 36. The enzyme-substrate complex is... -
Answer -The temporary combination of enzyme and substrate. 37. What happens if an enzyme
changes shape? - Answer -It stops working (cannot bind the substrate). 38. What can denature an
enzyme? - Answer -Extreme temperature or pH. 39. What does "activation energy" mean? - Answer -
The energy needed to start a reaction. 40. Enzymes work best at... - Answer -Their optimal
temperature and pH.
Biochemistry Concepts for
Biology Students
1. What is the atomic number of sodium? - Answer -11 2. What is the atomic mass of sodium? - Answer
-23 3. Why is a neutral sodium atom not stable? - Answer -because it has 1 valance electron that it
wants to lose to become stable 4. How does an atom become a positive ion? - Answer -it loses
electrons 5. How does an atom become a negative ion? - Answer -it gains electrons 6. What is an
isotope? - Answer -atoms of the same element with different numbers of neutrons 7. Difference
between ionic and covalent bonds? - Answer -ionic bonds transfer and covalent bonds share electrons
8. Which molecule is ionic? - Answer -any metal plus nonmetal ex: NaCl 9. Which molecule is covalent?
- Answer -two nonmetals (ex, h2o or co2 10. What is cohesion? - Answer -Attraction between
molecules of the same substance. 11. What is adhesion? - Answer -Attraction between molecules of
different substances. 12. Which helps plants transport water upward? - Answer -Cohesion and
adhesion (capillary action). 13. What is polarity? - Answer -A molecule having uneven charge
distribution 14. Which molecule is polar? - Answer -water h2o 15. Why is water the universal solvent? -
Answer -Because it is polar and dissolves many substances. 16. What pH range is acidic? - Answer -0-6
17. What pH is neutral? - Answer -7 18. What do acids release in solution? - Answer -H⁺ ions (hydrogen
ions). 19. What do bases release in solution? - Answer -OH⁻ ions (hydroxide ions). 20. Benedict's test
identifies which organic molecule? - Answer -Simple sugars (glucose). 21. Which test turns purple for
proteins? - Answer -Biuret test. 22. Which indicator turns dark blue/black with starch? - Answer -Iodine
(Lugol's iodine). 23. Which test identifies lipids? - Answer -Brown paper test 24. What is the monomer
of proteins? - Answer -amino acids 25. What is the monomer of carbohydrates? - Answer -
monosacchraides 26. What is the monomer of nucleic acids? - Answer -Nucleotides. 27. What are lipids
made of? - Answer -Glycerol + fatty acids. 28. What makes a molecule "organic"? - Answer -It contains
carbon. 29. One function of carbohydrates is... - Answer -Provide quick energy. 30. One function of
lipids is... - Answer -Long-term energy storage. 31. One function of proteins is... - Answer -Build and
repair tissues. 32. One function of nucleic acids is... - Answer -Store and transmit genetic information.
33. What do enzymes do? - Answer -Speed up chemical reactions. 34. What is a chemical reaction? -
Answer -A process where substances are changed into new substances. 35. What is an enzyme's
active site? - Answer -The location where the substrate binds. 36. The enzyme-substrate complex is... -
Answer -The temporary combination of enzyme and substrate. 37. What happens if an enzyme
changes shape? - Answer -It stops working (cannot bind the substrate). 38. What can denature an
enzyme? - Answer -Extreme temperature or pH. 39. What does "activation energy" mean? - Answer -
The energy needed to start a reaction. 40. Enzymes work best at... - Answer -Their optimal
temperature and pH.
