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Chapter 1: Problem 16

Biological molecules often interact via weak forces (H bonds, van der Waals interactions, etc.). What would be the effect of an increase in kinetic energy on such interactions?

Short Answer

Expert verified
An increase in kinetic energy would likely result in the weakening or disruption of weak interactions in biological molecules like Hydrogen bonds and Van der Waals interactions. This is because the increased kinetic energy would increase the frequency and magnitude of molecular collisions, which these weak bonds may not withstand.

Step by step solution

01

Understand Kinetic Energy and Weak Interactions

Kinetic energy refers to the energy that an object possesses due to its motion. Weak interactions like Hydrogen bonds and Van der Waals involve the attraction between molecules or within different parts of a large molecule. These are not very strong bonds and can be easily broken.
02

Relate Increases in Kinetic Energy to these Interactions

An increase in kinetic energy would mean an increase in movement and motion, as more energy is being provided. For molecules that are already in motion, this would result in an increased frequency and magnitude of collisions.
03

Predict the Effect of Increased Kinetic Energy on Weak Interactions

The increased frequency and magnitude of molecular collisions due to increased kinetic energy can disturb or break the weak interactions. Hydrogen bonds and Van der Waals interactions are notably sensitive and easily broken under such conditions. As such, an increase in kinetic energy would generally weaken these interactions.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Without consulting the figures in this chapter, sketch the characteristic prokaryotic and eukaryotic cell types and label their pertinent organelle and membrane systems.

What structural features allow biological polymers to be informational macromolecules? Is it possible for polysaccharides to be informational macromolecules?

Why is it important that weak forces, not strong forces, mediate biomolecular recognition?

Escherichia coli cells are about \(2 \mu \mathrm{m}\) (microns) long and \(0.8 \mu \mathrm{m}\) in diameter. a. How many \(E\). coli cells laid end to end would fit across the diameter of a pinhead? (Assume a pinhead diameter of \(0.5 \mathrm{mm}\).) b. What is the volume of an \(E\). coli cell? (Assume it is a cylinder, with the volume of a cylinder given by \(V=\pi r^{2} h,\) where \(\pi=3.14 .\) c. What is the surface area of an \(E\). colicell? What is the surface-to volume ratio of an \(E .\) colicell? d. Glucose, a major energy-yielding nutrient, is present in bacterial cells at a concentration of about \(1 \mathrm{m} M\). What is the concentration of glucose, expressed as \(\mathrm{mg} / \mathrm{mL}\) ? How many glucose molecules are contained in a typical \(E\) coli cell? (Recall that Avogadro's number \(=6.023 \times 10^{23}\).) e. A number of regulatory proteins are present in \(E\). coli at only one or two molecules per cell. If we assume that an \(E\). colicell contains just one molecule of a particular protein, what is the molar concentration of this protein in the cell? If the molecular weight of this protein is \(40 \mathrm{kD},\) what is its concentration, expressed as \(\mathrm{mg} / \mathrm{mL} ?\) f. \(\operatorname{An} E .\) coli cell contains about 15,000 ribosomes, which carry out protein synthesis. Assuming ribosomes are spherical and have a diameter of \(20 \mathrm{nm}\) (nanometers), what fraction of the \(E .\) colicell volume is occupied by ribosomes? g. The \(E\) coli chromosome is a single DNA molecule whose mass is about \(3 \times 10^{9}\) daltons. This macromolecule is actually a linear array of nucleotide pairs. The average molecular weight of a nucleotide pair is \(660,\) and each pair imparts \(0.34 \mathrm{nm}\) to the length of the DNA molecule. What is the total length of the E. coli chromosome? How does this length compare with the overall dimensions of an \(E\). coli cell? How many nucleotide pairs does this DNA contain? The average \(E\). coli protein is a linear chain of 360 amino acids. If three nucleotide pairs in a gene encode one amino acid in a protein, how many different proteins can the E. coli chromosome encode? (The answer to this question is a reasonable approximation of the maximum number of different kinds of proteins that can be expected in bacteria.)

The nutritional requirements of Escherichia coli cells are far simpler than those of humans, yet the macromolecules found in bacteria are about as complex as those of animals. Because bacteria can make all their essential biomolecules while subsisting on a simpler diet, do you think bacteria may have more biosynthetic capacity and hence more metabolic complexity than animals? Organize your thoughts on this question, pro and con, into a rational argument.
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