Page 6: Protein Properties and Functions

This page details protein properties, particularly denaturation, and various protein functions in biological systems.

Definition: Denaturation involves the breaking of bonds that maintain a protein's native state, caused by changes in pH, temperature, or salinity.

Example: Protein renaturation can occur in some cases, allowing the protein to regain its original conformation and function.

Page 1: Water and Mineral Salts

The first page introduces fundamental concepts about water's biological importance and osmotic processes. Water serves multiple critical functions in biological systems, from acting as a universal solvent to maintaining cellular structure.

Definition: Osmosis is a passive diffusion process occurring through a semipermeable membrane that allows solvent passage but restricts solute movement.

Example: In animal cells, exposure to a hypertonic solution causes crenation (shrinkage), while plant cells may experience plasmolysis.

Vocabulary:

• Hydrophobic substances: Molecules that repel water and attract other neutral molecules
• Hydrophilic substances: Molecules that tend to interact with or dissolve in water
• Buffer solution: Substances maintaining constant pH when acids or bases are added

Highlight: The maintenance of pH values close to neutrality is essential for sustaining biochemical and physiological functions in organisms.