Biochem Flashcards

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1
Q

What are living organisms made of? (organic and inorganic molecules)

A

Organic (lipids, proteins, carbs, nucleic acids, vitamins)
Inorganic (water, minerals ex. calcium, phosphorus, iron, sodium, sulfur)

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2
Q

What do all organic compounds contain?

A

Carbon and hydrogen

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3
Q

Where are organic compounds found?

A

In living organisms.

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4
Q

What are some exceptions to the organic (CH) rule?

A

hydrocarbonates, carbonates, oxides of carbon

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5
Q

What is vitalism?

A

Living organisms are different from entities cuz they contain some non-physical element (a spark or energy)

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6
Q

What experiment falsified vitalism? Explain it.

A

The synthesis of urea from inorganic compounds falsified the idea that only organic compounds can make such compounds.

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7
Q

What two processes make up metabolism?

A

Anabolism and catabolism

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8
Q

Are ALL metabolic reactions enzyme catalyzed?

A

yes

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9
Q

What is anabolism? What process does it use?

A

Anabolism is the building up of compounds (from monomers to polymers) using condensation.

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10
Q

What is catabolism? What process does it use?

A

Catabolism is the breaking down of compounds (cellulose to glucose) using hydrolysis.

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11
Q

What is another name for condensation?

A

Dehydration synthesis since you remove a molecule of water.

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12
Q

What do hydrolysis reactions need as a reactant?

A

Water

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13
Q

What do ocean waters and air currents transfer?

A

Heat

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14
Q

What explains the properties of water?

A

H-bonds and dipolarity

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14
Q

What are some properties of water? (3)

A

Adhesion and cohesive properties, universal solvent, thermal properties (high heat capacity, boiling and melting point)

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15
Q

What two things is cohesion in water responsible for?

A

Transpiration pull, surface tension

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16
Q

What is adhesion in water responsible for?

A

Transpiration pull

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17
Q

What property in water makes it the universal solvent?

A

Its bent shape/polarity.

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18
Q

How is glucose transported in blood? Is it polar or not?

A

Polar and dissolved in blood plasma

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19
Q

How is cholesterol carried in blood? Is it polar or non-polar?

A

lipoprotein complex and is insoluble with a small hydrophilic spot.

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20
Q

How are amino acids carried in the blood? Polar or non-polar?

A

Polar and dissolved in plasma.

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21
Q

How are fats carried in the blood? Polar or non-polar?

A

Non-polar and inside lipoprotein complexes.

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22
Q

How is oxygen transported in the blood? Polar or non-polar?

A

Hemoglobin, some dissolved in the blood. Oxygen is non-polar but small size makes it partly soluble.

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23
Q

How is sodium chloride transported in the blood?

A

Dissolves in plasma.

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24
Q

What property of water allows for high boiling point?

A

H-bonds

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25
Q

What does it mean that water has a high specific heat capacity?

A

This means water can absorb/lose a large amount of energy without significantly changing the temperature of the water.

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26
Q

What are the benefits of water having a high heat capacity?

A

Helps organisms maintain constant temperature and regulates environmental temperature. (especially for aquatic organisms)

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27
Q

What does it mean for water to have a high heat of vaporization?

A

the amount of energy needed to change water from liquid to a gas is high.

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28
Q

What is having a high heat of vaporization or water good for?

A

Evaporative cooling, ex sweating.

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29
Q

What do the differences between water and methane arise from?

A

The lack of H-bonding in methane.

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30
Q

Do water and methane conduct electricity?

A

No, pure water should not.

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31
Q

Name 4 ways animals can get water.

A

Drinking, eating, cell resp, absorbing thru the skin

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32
Q

How do plants get water?

A

Roots

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33
Q

How do animals lose water? (4)

A

Breathing, sweating, feces, urine

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34
Q

How do plants lose water?

A

Transpiration

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35
Q

What do organisms use nutrients for?

A

To survive/grow

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36
Q

What are 4 macronutrients?

A

Carbs, lipids, proteins, nucleic acid.

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37
Q

What do macronutrients provide?

A

They provide the main energy and building blocks source for living organisms.

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38
Q

What are two micronutrients? What do they provide?

A

Water and minerals. They provide the necessary cofactors for metabolism (control body processes).

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39
Q

What are essential nutrients?

A

Can’t be synthesized by the body and must be included in the diet.

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40
Q

What are four essential nutrients?

A

Dietary minerals like iron, vitamins like vitamin C in humans due to the “GULO” gene mutation, essential fatty acids, and essential amino acids.

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41
Q

What can cause rickets?

A

A lack of vitamin D and calcium.

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42
Q

What are two essential fatty acids? Why are they necessary?

A

Alpha-linolenic acid (an omega-3) and linoleic acid (omega-6). Necessary for good health.

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43
Q

How many animo acids can’t be synthesized in the body?

A

9/20

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44
Q

What does a lack of amino acids affect?

A

The production of proteins.

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45
Q

What type of carbs are the macromolecules?

A

Starches

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46
Q

What are the building blocks of carbs?

A

Simple sugars and polysaccharides.

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47
Q

What are the building blocks for lipids?

A

Glycerol and fatty acids.

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48
Q

What are the building blocks of Nucleic Acids (DNA/RNA)?

A

Nucleotides

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49
Q

What are the building blocks of proteins?

A

Amino acids

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50
Q

What are carbs produced by?

A

Plants

51
Q

What are carbs used for? (3)

A

Storage, energy, structure

52
Q

What three atoms fo all carbs have?

A

C,H,O

53
Q

What are 3 monosaccharides? Are they isomers?

A

Glucose, fructose, galactose. Yes,they are isomers.

54
Q

What are 3 disaccharides? What monosaccharides make them up?

A

Sucrose (glucose and fructose), Maltose (two glucose), Lactose (glucose and galactose)

55
Q

What are some polysaccharides? (3)

A

Cellulose, starch (amylose and amylopectin), glycogen (animals only)

56
Q

Draw alpha and beta glucose.

A

57
Q

Draw amylopectin, amylose, glycogen, cellulose.

A
58
Q

When making disaccharides from monomers, is it dehydration synthesis or hydrolysis?

A

Hydrolysis

59
Q

What is the formula of a trisaccharide?

A

C18H32O16

60
Q

What is the name of the bond between two sugar monomers?

A

Glycosidic bond

61
Q

What is glucose used for?

A

ATP

62
Q

What is lactose used for?

A

Sugar in milk (energy to newborns)

63
Q

What is glycogen used for?

A

Energy storage in liver

64
Q

What is fructose for?

A

Makes fruits sweet so animals would eat them and that leads to seed dispersal.

65
Q

What is sucrose for?

A

Energy source

66
Q

What is cellulose used for?

A

Component of cell walls.

67
Q

What is the test for reducing sugars? What does a positive test look like?

A

Benedict’s test, the more red/orange the colour, the more positive it is. The more blue/green the more negative.

68
Q

What is the test for starch? What does a positive test look like?

A

Iodine (black means starch is present)

69
Q

What are some reducing sugars?

A

All monosaccharides and some disaccharides like maltose and lactose.

70
Q

What food has more than twice the energy “density” (per gram) of carbs? Why?

A

Lipids due to the number of chemical bonds that allow for efficient energy storage.

71
Q

Draw all the monosaccharides.

A
72
Q

What are some functions of lipids? (6)

A

Energy storage, insulation, compartment of cell membranes, protect organs, carriers of fat-soluble vitamin absorption (A, D, E, K), and steroid hormone synthesis (ex. testosterone.)

73
Q

What is a type of lipid? What are its building blocks?

A

Triglyceride (one glycerol and 3 fatty acids)

74
Q

Draw a lipid triglyceride.

A
75
Q

What makes an unsaturated fatty acid?

A

The presence of a fatty acid.

76
Q

What type of lipids are polyunsaturated fatty acids?

A

Oils, usually liquid, reactive, are usually thought as healthier

77
Q

What kind of lipids are saturated fatty acids?

A

Animal fats, hard to break down, solid

78
Q

What are trans fats made from?

A

Partially hydrogenating vegetable oils

79
Q

Is the hydrogen on the same side or not for trans fats?

A

On opposite sides

80
Q

Why are trans fats bad? (3)

A

Increase inflammation, LDL cholesterol and decrease HDL cholesterol

81
Q

What are some ways to measure the presence of lipids?

A

Lipid test, fatometer, BMI

82
Q

What are five examples of proteins in living organisms?

A

Enzymes, antibodies, pigments, hormones, structure

83
Q

What are protein pigments for?

A

Rhodopsin in vision

84
Q

What are antibodies?

A

immunoglobulins

85
Q

What are some protein structures in living organisms?

A

Spider silk, collagen in skin

86
Q

What makes up 50% of dry weight of organisms?

A

Proteins

87
Q

How and where are proteins synthesized?

A

As polypeptides on ribosomes

88
Q

What is the name of a species entire collection of proteins?

A

Proteome

89
Q

What is the study of the structure, function and interaction of cellular proteins called?

A

proteomics

90
Q

Sketch an amino acid.

A

Amine group, carboxylic group and side chain group.

91
Q

What is the bond between amino acids called?

A

Peptide bond

92
Q

What does the primary structure of a protein consist of?

A

Amino acid sequence (includes size of polypeptide and type of amino acids)

93
Q

What are secondary proteins an interaction between? What type of bond is responsible for the different shapes? What are the shapes?

A

Between different functional groups and the H-bonds make the different shapes (alpha helix and beta sheet)

94
Q

What are tertiary protein structures interactions between? How does this change the shape of the protein?

A

Interactions of the R groups (hydrogen, ionic, covalent). Provides additional folding.

95
Q

What are quaternary structure proteins an interaction between? What is the end product?

A

Interactions of polypeptides, more than one tertiary polypeptide makes the protein.

96
Q

What test is used to detect protein? What does it test for? What does a positive test look like?

A

Biuret test which tests for peptide bonds and will change from a blue to a purple colour if proteins are present.

97
Q

What is the cause of PKU?

A

Don’t have the enzyme to turn phenylalanine into tyrosine. (both types of amino acids) So, phenylalanine builds up to toxic levels causing brain damage.

98
Q

What is starvation a result of?

A

A severe or total lack of nutrients/energy for the maintenance of life.

99
Q

What is malnutrition?

A

used by too little (or too much) of a particular nutrient

100
Q

What is kwashiorkar? What is it characterized by?

A

A form of severe protein/energy malnutrition characterized by a swollen belly.

101
Q

What is marasmus? What is it characterized by?

A

A form of severe malnutrition (energy deficiency) and can be characterized by an emaciated look.

102
Q

What is the denaturation of proteins? What can cause it? Is it reversible?

A

Denaturation is the change of the 3D protein shape or function due to changes in conditions like (pH or temperature). It is not reversible.

103
Q

What can too hot of conditions due to proteins?

A

Too much energy can cause H-bonds and even stronger bonds to break which will change the shape of the protein.

103
Q

How does pH affect proteins?

A

Too acidic or basic conditions will cause proteins to change shape.

104
Q

Why isn’t body temperature higher?

A

It would denature proteins.

105
Q

Why do chemical reactions in the body need to be sped up?

A

Body temperature is too cold for reactions to occur efficiently.

106
Q

What are the special catalysts in the body called?

A

enzymes

107
Q

What shape are enzymes?

A

Tertiary and quaternary proteins

108
Q

How do enzymes increase rate of reaction?

A

Lower activation energy

109
Q

What are substrates? Active site?

A

enzymes have an active site to which specific substrates bind (substrates are the reactants)

110
Q

What is the induced-fit model of enzyme action?

A

The active site is suited for a particular substrate.

111
Q

What happens when the substrate binds to the active site?

A

A slight conformational change in the enzyme occurs.

112
Q

What does the slight conformational change in an enzyme allow for?

A

Allows the catalytic parts of the enzyme to contact the necessary parts of teh substrates.

113
Q

How does temperature affect enzyme function?

A

Can denature the enzyme by breaking bonds.

114
Q

What happens when enzymes are exposed to low temperatures?

A

Cause enzymes to lose flexibility (lower motion/reaction rate)

115
Q

What two factors affect reaction rate?

A

Substrate concentration and enzyme concentration (equal substrates and active sites for optimal function)

116
Q

What is enzyme saturation?

A

When adding more enzymes does not affect reaction rate.

117
Q

name one example of immobilized enzymes being used in industry.

A

lactose-free milk is made when lactase enzyme (from yeast) is immobilized and beads and regular milk is run through it

118
Q

What are competitive inhibitors? Name an example.

A

Block enzyme active sites, Rubisco is inhibited by oxygen in chloroplasts.

119
Q

What are non-competitive inhibitors?

A

Attach to enzyme at a site other than the active site and cause a conformational change to the active site.

120
Q

In which type of inhibition, competitive or non-competitive, does increasing substrate concentration affect rate of reaction?

A

In competitive enzyme inhibition

121
Q

What is an example of an enzyme cycle?

A

Photosynthesis Calvin Benson Cycle

122
Q

How are metabolic pathways controlled?

A

End product inhibition. The product binds to an allosteric site.

123
Q

What is a site on the enzyme that is not the active site called?

A

Allosteric site