Biochem Flashcards
Catabolism
Breakdown reactions
Anabolism
Reactions of synthesis
Biopolymers
Form from condensation synthesis reactions which involve the elimination of a water molecule; made of smaller monomer units; includes: proteins, carbohydrates, and enzymes
Condensation
Reactions involving the elimination of a water molecule
Hydrolysis
The process of breaking up a biopolymer back into its monomer units by the addition of water
Amino Acids
The monomer units that make up a proteins (ex: Glycine and Alanine); Always has an amine group and a carboxylic acid group
Zwitter Ion
A form which amino acids can take where when placed in a neutral solution will donate a proton from the carboxyl group (acting as an acid) and also accept a proton through the amine group (acting as a base) and therefore forms an ion with both a positive and negative charge.
Isoelectric Point
pH where the amino acid will exist as a zwitter ion
Anionic Amino Acid
Form an amino acid takes in a strongly alkaline solution having a negative charge.
Cationic Amino Acid
Form an amino acid takes in a strongly acidic solution having a positive charge
Peptide/Amide link
Occurs when the carboxyl group of an amino acid undergoes a condensation reaction with the amine group of another creating a polypeptide with the functional group -CONH-
Protein
Polypeptide made up of more than 50 amino acid monomers
Primary Structure
amino acids forming the linear sequence of the polypeptide chain; hold together by covalent or peptide bonds; sequence of the protein is unique to that protein.
Secondary Structure
Regions of the chain are organized into regular structures known as alpha-helixes and beta pleated sheets; held together by hydrogen bonds between the lone pairs of the O in the carboxyl group and an H of an amine group further down the line
Tertiary Structure
Held together by the interaction of the side change through ionic interactions, hydrogen bonds, dispersion forces, or disulfide links to form the three dimensional shape of a protein
Quaternary Structure
How the individual polypeptide chains interact with each other
Enzyme
Protein that acts as a biological catalyst, increasing reaction rates of biological reactions without being used up in the process; tend to have more than 200 amino acids and are specifically designed for only one type of reaction through its tertiary structure.
Substrate
The specific protein that will “unlock” an enzyme allowing it to catalyze the reaction.
Electrophloresis
Analytical technique to create a “protein fingerprint” by separating large molecules with an overall charge and mass such as DNA and Proteins
Lipids
Molecules including oils and fats (triglycerides), phospholipids, and steroids; mainly carbon and hydrogen with small amounts of oxygen and other elements; nonpolar and so are insoluble in water; store energy in the body, release more energy per gram than carbs; thermal insulator
Free fatty acid
Long hydrocarbon tail with a carboxylic acid group head
Triglyceride
3 fatty acid molecules attached to a glycerol (OH-OH-OH) through a ester link formed by a condensation reaction
Phospholipids
Similar structure to triglyceride but replacing one of the fatty acids with phosphate group; polar head (hydrophilic), 2 non-polar tails (hydrophobic) forming a bilayer; forms cell membranes
Steroids
Lipids with a structure consisting of 4 fused rings known as the steroidal backbone
Iodine Numbers
Degree of saturation of lipids measured in the mass of Iodine which reacts with 100g of the lipid (1 mol iodine reacts with 1 mol of double bonds)
Hydrolytic Rancidity
when fats break down by hyrdolysis reactions which occur from the water present in foods and the enzyme liapse which can be favored in the presence of certain bacteria and high temperatures.
Oxidative Rancidity
when unsaturated fats react with oxygen from the air (reaction point is the double bond); can be controlled but not stopped by the addition of antioxidants
Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL)
Major carrier of cholesterol from the liver to the rest of the body; when cholesterol levels are excessive LDL deposits it on the sides of arteries causing damage
High Density Lipoprotein (HDL)
mops up cholesterol from the bloodstream and takes it back to the liver
Anabolic Steroids`
class of steroids that are related to testosterone which mimic the actions of testosterone
Anabolism
the increasing of synthesis withing cells, building up cellular tissue especially in muscles
Cellulose
structural polymer of all plants which is a type of carbohydrate
Carbohydrate
Oxygen-rich biomolecules which play a role in metabolic reaction of energy transfer
Monosacharride
Carbohydrate of the form Cx(H20)y containing a carbonyl group and at least two hydroxyl groups.
Disacharride
a carbohydrate formed when two monosacharrides undergo a condensation reaction
Glycosidic Link
Ether link
Polysacharride
a carbohydrate polymer where monosacharrides are connected by a glycosidic link
Vitamins
Organic micronutrients that cannot be synthesized by the body so must be obtained from diet
Water soluble vitamins
vitamins containing polar hydroxyl groups allowing it to hydrogen bond with water
Fat soluble vitamins
vitamins that are nonpolar and insoluble in water bc the larger part of the molecule is very nonpolar
Zeolites
specifically designed organic branched polymers that act as a “cage” to immobilize pollutants and xenobiotics from the ecosystem by mimicking the nature of enzymes
Green chemistry
Takes into account the environmental impacts of a chemical process and encourages the synthetic design that minimizes the use and generation of hazardous materials
Atom economy
the efficiency of a procedure as the ratio of the mass of the isolated target product to the combined masses of all the starting reactants, catalysts, and solvents
