Glycine is one of the amino acids that forms proteins - VCE - SSCE Chemistry - Question 19 - 2003 - Paper 1
Question 19
Glycine is one of the amino acids that forms proteins. Protein that is not required in the body is broken down in the liver. Unwanted nitrogen is converted to urea a... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:Glycine is one of the amino acids that forms proteins - VCE - SSCE Chemistry - Question 19 - 2003 - Paper 1
Step 1
Calculate the amount of nitrogen in glycine
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Answer
Glycine has the formula H₂N-CH₂-COOH. The nitrogen content in glycine is from the amino group (H₂N). Therefore, for 1.00 g of glycine with a molecular mass of 75 g/mol, we can calculate the moles:
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Answer
The mass of nitrogen contributed by glycine can be found by first determining the moles of nitrogen in the 1.00 g of glycine, which is also 0.0133 mol.
The molar mass of nitrogen (N) is 14 g/mol. Therefore, the total mass is:
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Answer
The conversion of nitrogen into urea occurs through the urea cycle, which produces urea that contains 2 nitrogen atoms. Thus, the total urea produced can be calculated from the nitrogen mass:
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Answer
Thus, the maximum mass of urea that could be eliminated as a result of the breakdown of 1.00 g of glycine is approximately 0.40 g. Therefore, the correct answer is B. 0.80.
