Exam 1 Flashcards
(225 cards)
What is biochemistry?
The study of the chemistry of life processes
(reactions taking place in cells)
What are involved in biochemistry processes?
The interplay of large biological macromolecules (proteins, nucleic acids) and low-molecular-weight metabolites (ie glucose and glycerol)
What is an example of the concept of biological unity and diversity?
A protein may have a similar shape in three different organisms
What must evolutionists assume?
Biochemical evolution that different organisms having macromolecules with a similar structure and common biochemical processes suggests common ancestors
What is DNA?
It is a natural linear polymer that has four building blocks: sugar (deoxyribose), phosphate, and a nitrogenous base (adenine, cytosine, guanine, thymine)
What are the components of DNA?
backbone, double helix of two antiparallel strands composed of Watson-Crick Base Pairs
Double helix explains ability to store information as bases and replicate.
What is special about the replication of DNA?
Each strand of DNA is a template for the creation of a daughter strand and complementary strands form in pico to microseconds (the timescale of most biochemical interactions)
What is notable about covalent bonds? What is an example of these?
Strong bonds, distance of 1.54A 355 kJ/mol
example: holds together DNA backbone of sugar and phosphate
What is notable about ionic interactions?
They are between fully charged atoms/molecules.
The electrostatic attraction is determined by an equation (a function of how close the electrons are)
Distance: 3 A Strength 5.86 kJ/mol
What is notable about electric dipoles? What is an example of these?
AKA dipole-dipole
due to uneven electron distribution, deals with partial charges
- can interact with ions or other dipoles 4-5kJ/mol
Example: DNA phosphate and water- water’s high dielectric constant stabilizes negatively charged backbone
What is notable about Hydrogen bonds? What is an example?
Distance 1.5-2.6 A, energy: 4-20kJ/mol
H - N/O/S/Phosphorus
H-bond acceptors need lone pair of electrons
Example: DNA base pairings. H2O bonds with base until proper pair comes by
G-C two H-bonds
A-T three H-bonds
space of remaining water H bonded to base keeps improper base from getting too close
What is notable about van der Walls interactions?
What is an example?
Unlike dipole-dipole interactions that must have something polar, these interactions occur at a given moment where an atom has more electrons
-Too close repel, too far no interaction
2-4kJ/mol
Example: interior DNA bases interact (optimal distace 4 vdW) using vdW (“pie stacking” the flat aromatic rings stack on top of each other)
What are the general ideas of the three laws of thermodynamics?
1) The total energy of the surroundings and the system stays constant
2) The total entropy of the system and its surroundings always increases (disorder has to be created)
3) Entropy can decrease locally in a system if it is increased in the surroundings
What is Gibbs Free Energy?
AG = AHsys - TASsys
a state function that describes the energetics of biochemical reactions
How does Gibbs Free Energy influence biochemical reactions?
AG < 0 for spontaneous reactions (for biochemical reactions to occur)
Must either have a large -AHsys (heat released) or lots of ASsys (disorder)
What are the thermodynamics of DNA formation?
Entropy decreases but enthalpy increases by heat being released
typically released heat allows for reactions to occur
What is the focus of Acid-Base reactions? What characterizes Acid-Base reactions? What Acid-Base definitions are used in biochemistry?
Addition or removal of hydrogen ions from molecules.
Characterized by Ka = [H+][A-]/[HA]
The bronstead-lowry definition
Acid: proton (H+) donator
Base: proton (H+) acceptor
What is pH?
It is a measure of the concentration of protons
pH = -log[H+]
What is the hydrophobic effect?
The tendency of nonpolar groups to come together to minimize their interaction with water.
What is the equilibrium constant of water?
Kw = [H+][OH-]
Pure water: [H+] = [OH-] = 10^-7 = 7.0
Why are Acids and Bases important to biochemistry?
too much acid and too much base will disrupt/denature DNA
Baseness deprotonates and Acidity protonates base pairs disrupting hydrogen bonding and causing the DNA to split apart
What is pka? When does it equal pH?
The ability to give off a proton
Ka = [H+][A-]/[HA]
pka = -log(Ka)
pKa= pH when protonated acid = deprotonated acid
pKa low = easily deprotonated
pKa high = not easily deprotonated
What are buffers?
Substances that regulate pH
They are most effective at pH near their own pKa
What is the Henderson-Hasselbalch equation?
Quantitative terms for the effect of the buffer.
pH = pKa + log ([A-]/[HA])
weak acids aer most effective as buffers at a pH near the pKa value of the acid