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Organic Chemistry

Amino acids, DNA and naturally occurring polymers

  • 3 things to know
  • Paper 2

Overview

The amino and carboxylic acid groups of amino acids, condensation polymerisation into polypeptides, glycine and why it can form a chain alone, proteins and what decides their properties, DNA as two nucleotide polymer chains in a double helix carrying genetic instructions, and proteins, starch and cellulose as natural polymers.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

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Key term

How many functional groups does a molecule of an amino acid contain?

Key term

Name the two functional groups found in an amino acid.

Key term

Name the product formed when many amino acids polymerise, and state the small molecule lost.

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

  1. 1

    How many functional groups does a molecule of an amino acid contain?

    Model answer

    Two, and they are different from each other.

  2. 2

    Name the two functional groups found in an amino acid.

    Model answer

    An amino group, –NH₂, and a carboxylic acid group, –COOH.

  3. 3

    By what type of polymerisation do amino acids join together?

    Model answer

    Condensation polymerisation.

  4. 4

    Name the product formed when many amino acids polymerise, and state the small molecule lost.

    Model answer

    A polypeptide is formed, and a molecule of water is lost at each link.

  5. 5

    Give the formula of glycine, the simplest amino acid.

    Model answer

    H₂NCH₂COOH.

  6. 6

    Which two groups react when glycine molecules polymerise together?

    Model answer

    The –NH₂ group of one molecule reacts with the –COOH group of the next.

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