Biochemistry Flashcards
Biochemistry
chemical composition and reactions of living matter
Inorganic compounds
lack carbon, dissociate in water
Organic compounds
contain carbon, do not dissociate in water
Inorganic compounds examples
water, salts, acids, bases
Organic compounds examples
carbohydrates, lipids, proteins
Water makes up _ - _% of our bodies
60 - 80%
Water is the most __________ of all inorganic compounds in our body
abundant
Name the 5 special properties of water
high heat capacity, high heat of vaporization, universal solvent, hydrolysis/condensation, and cushion
High heat capacity
help the body to maintain correct internal temperatures by resisting changes in temperature
High heat of vaporization
cools the body down when we sweat because energy is released when liquid water turns to vapor
Universal solvent
allows substances to be dissolved for reactions to take place
Hydrolysis/condensation
hydrolysis breaks a bond, condensation forms a bond
Cushion
protects parts like brain and skull
Solute vs. Solvent
solute dissolves, solvent does the dissolving
Salts
anything that dissociates to produce cations and anions
What type of energy is given off by dissolved salts?
electrical energy (electrolytes)
Why are salts important?
used in structure (bones and teeth), and muscle contractions
______ acts as a storage reservoir for salts/minerals
bones
The _______ maintain proper electrolyte balance
kidneys
Acids
substances that increase hydrogen ion concentration when they dissociate
Acids accept/donate protons
donate
T/F: When an acid dissociates, H+ increases
True
Bases
substances that decrease hydrogen concentration when they dissociate
Bases accept/donate protons
accept
T/F: When a base dissociates, H+ increases
False
pH
the negative log of hydrogen ion concentration
pH is a description of the level of _____ or ______ of a solution
acidity, alkalinity
pH is measured on a scale of _ - _
1 - 14
The pH of an acid measures _______ 7
below
The pH of a base measures ______ 7
above
Something with a neutral pH measure ______ 7
at/equal to
T/F: Different parts of our body have different pH levels
True
What is the pH of the stomach?
2
What is the pH of the blood?
7.35 - 7.45
Carbohydrates make up _ - _% of a cell
1 -2%
Carbohydrates include ______ and _______
sugars, starches
The main function of carbohydrates is to be an available source of _______
energy
_______ is the energy currency of the body
ATP
When we break down carbohydrates, what is used to make ATP?
sugars
What are the 3 classes of carbohydrates?
monosaccharides, disaccharides, polysaccharides,
Monosaccharides are called ______ sugars and consist of only __ subunit
simple, one
T/F: monosaccharides can be absorbed across the wall of the digestive tract
True
Monosaccharides contain between _ and _ carbons
3 - 7
What is the ration of carbon to hydrogen for monosaccharides?
1 : 2 : 1
Monosaccharides get their names based on the # of ______ atoms
carbon (5 = pentose, 6 = hexose)
What are some examples of monosaccharides?
glucose, fructose, sucrose
Disaccharides are composed of 2 ____________
monosaccharides
Through which chemical process are monosaccharides chemically joined to create a disaccharide?
dehydration synthesis
T/F: disaccharides can be absorbed across the wall of the digestive tract
False
To be digested, disaccharides must be broken apart into monosaccharides through what chemical process?
hydrolysis
What are some examples of disaccharides?
sucrose, lactose, maltose
Polysaccharides are long chain carbohydrates called _______
polymer
T/F: Polysaccharides can be absorbed across the wall of the digestive tract
False
Polysaccharides are not water soluble, therefore, they are ___________
nonpolar
What are some examples of polysaccharides?
glycogen, starch
Lipids exist as ___ and ___
fats, oils
Fats are ______ at room temperature
solids
Oils are ______ at room temperature
liquids
T/F: lipids are soluble in water
False
Lipids can dissolve in fats or other _______ solvents
organic
What are the 4 types of lipids
triglycerides (neutral fats), phospholipids, steroids, eicosanoids
Name the 3 functions of triglycerides
storage, insulation, cushion
Triglycerides are composed of 3 ____ ______ and 1 _______
fatty acids, glycerol
T/F: Triglycerides are polar
False
List the 6 classes of triglycerides
saturated, unsaturated, polyunsaturated, trans fat, Omega 3 fatty acids, Omega 6 fatty acids
Saturated fats come from 2 sources:
produced by our bodies, consuming animal meat
T/F: Saturated fats don’t have double bonds between carbons
True
T/F: Saturated fats are solids at room temperature
True
Saturated fats cause ________ cholesterol, and a(n) _________ risk of cardiovascular events
increased, increased
T/F: Unsaturated fats don’t have double bonds between carbons
False, they have 1
T/F: Unsaturated fats are solid at room temperature
False
Where do unsaturated fats come from?
plants
Unsaturated fats cause ________ cholesterol, and a(n) _________ risk of cardiovascular events
unchanged, unchanged
T/F: Polyunsaturated fats don’t have double bonds between the carbons
False, they have 2 or more
T/F: Polyunsaturated fats are solids at room temperature
False
Where do polyunsaturated fats come from?
plants
Polyunsaturated fats cause _________ cholesterol, and a(n) _________ risk of cardiovascular events
decreased, decreased
How is trans fat made?
by adding hydrogen ions to oil at double bond sites
Why was trans fat invented?
increased flavor
T/F: Trans fat is a solid at room temperature
True
Trans fat causes ________ cholesterol, and a(n) ________ risk of cardiovascular events
increased, increased
Omega 3 fatty acids cause ________ cholesterol, and a(n) ________ risk of cardiovascular events
decreased, decreased
Where do Omega 3 fatty acids come from?
fish
Where is the difference between Omega 3 fatty acids and Omega 6 fatty acids?
the location of the double bond site is 3 particles in for Omega 3 fatty acids and 6 particles in for Omega 6 fatty acids
Omega 3 fatty acids are beneficial as ___ - ________ agents
anti-inflammatory
Omega 6 fatty acids cause ________ cholesterol, and a(n) ________ risk of cardiovascular events
decreased, decreased
Where do Omega 6 fatty acids come from?
fish
T/F: Omega 6 fatty acids are beneficial for the skin
True
If too much Omega 6 fatty acid is taken in, it can be __ - ________
pro-inflammatory
A phospholipid is comprised of __ phosphate group attached to __ glycerol and __ fatty acids
1, 1, 3
The head of a phospholipid is _______ and the tail is _______
hydrophilic (polar), hydrophobic (nonpolar)
T/F: Phospholipids are lipids
True
T/F: Steroids are lipids
True
Steroids have ________ derivatives
cholesterol
Steroids have how many interlocking rings?
4
T/F: Steroids are soluble in water
False, soluble in fats
T/F: Steroids can cross the plasma membrane
True
What is the function of steroids?
Long distance chemical signaling in the body
What are the main corresponding steroids in males and females?
testosterone for males, estrogen/progesterone for females
Eicosanoids
biologically active lipid that is a local signaling molecule
T/F: Prostaglandins are a subclass of steroids
False, subclass of eicosanoids
Proteins are comprised of long chains of ______ ______
amino acids
How many essential amino acids exist?
9
Where do amino acids come from?
animals
Amino acids are made into proteins through _______ bonds
peptide
How many protein structures exist?
4: primary structure, secondary structure, tertiary structure, and quaternary structure
What type of shape is primary structure?
linear
What kind of shape does secondary structure have?
Beta pleated sheet (folded), or Alpha helix (coiled)
When does secondary structure occur?
when primary structure starts to coil and zig zag due to interactions with neighboring amino acids
What is the shape of tertiary structure?
3D (coils are coiled further)
T/F: Tertiary structure can be considered a simple protein
True
T/F: Tertiary structure has active sites which only certain substrates can bind to
True
T/F: Quaternary structure can be considered a simple protein
False, it is a complex protein
Quaternary structure is made of __ or more peptide chains bound together
2
Name the 6 types of proteins
Structural/fibrous, regulatory, contractile, immunological, transport, and catalytic
What do structural/fibrous proteins do?
form structure of the bodt
What do regulatory proteins do?
act as chemical messengers that regulate activity of the body (can have fat or plant-based hormones)
What do contractile proteins do?
shorten themselves within muscles when stimulation occurs
What do immunological proteins do?
function in the immune system
What do transport proteins do?
carry molecules (hemoglobin)
What do catalytic proteins do?
act as enzymes
Enzymes have _____ _____ which are binded to certain substrates
active sites
Enzymes reduce what?
activation energy
What is denaturation?
When active sites are lost/distorted due to high temperature or non-optimal pH; the enzyme loses its function
T/F: Nucleic acids are the smallest molecules in our body
False, largest
What makes up a nucleotide?
nitrogenous base bound to a pentose sugar by peptide bonds
List the purines. List the pyrimidines.
purines: adenine & guanine
pyrimidines: thymine, uracil, & cytasil
What are the differences between DNA and RNA?
DNA: double helix, genetic information, deoxiribose sugar backbone, A-T; G-C
RNA: single helix, synthesizes proteins, ribose sugar backbone, A-U; G-C
ATP stands for what?
adenosine triphosphate
ATP is comprised of what?
includes an adenine nucleotide which is bound to 3 extra phosphate groups
