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What is optical isomerism and how can you distinguish between optical isomers?

A molecule will exhibit optical isomerism if it contains a chiral centre / an asymmetric carbon atom - in other words, if it contains a carbon atom with 4 different groups attached. Due to this property, the...
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Answered by Beth S. • Chemistry tutor
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What is the difference between covalent compounds and ionic compounds?

Covalent compounds contain atoms that share electrons - for example, hydrogen chloride (HCl) share electrons (one from each atom), in order to achieve a full set of 8 electrons in their outer shell. Covalent...
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Answered by Beth S. • Chemistry tutor
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What are the products of digestion of a) proteins, b) fats and c) carbohydrates?

a) Proteins, which are highly-folded poplypeptides, are broken down into shorter polypeptides, and then into amino acids, by protease enzymes. b) Fats, or lipids, are broken down by enzymes such as lipase in...
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Answered by Beth S. • Biology tutor
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What is the function of enzymes and give an example of one.

Enzymes are biological catalysts - they 'speed up' biological reactions - essentially increasing the rate at which they occur. Pepsin is an enzyme that catalyses the digestion of proteins in the stomach into...
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Answered by Beth S. • Biology tutor
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Describe the structure and function of a chemical synapse.

A synapse acts as a junction between cells - either between neurons, or between a neuron and a muscle or gland cell. Although neurons transmit information via electrical signals, synapses transmit informatio...
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Answered by Beth S. • Biology tutor
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