General Biochemistry Flashcards
What powers ATP synthase?
charge difference between inner membrane (high concentration of +) and mitochondrial matrix
think of it like a battery
What type of reactions does the ETC use?
redox reactions
move electrons across the chain
What are FAD and NAD?
coenzymes that interact with the ETC enzymes
also they are oxidizing/reducing agents depending
NADH
reduced form of NAD+
FADH2
reduced form of FAD
If you add double bonds to a hydrocarbon, does this make the hydrocarbon more or less oxidized?
this makes the hydrocarbon more oxidized
some of its electrons are pulled away from the carbons through double bonds
What is more oxidized a carboxylic acid or an alcohol?
carboxylic acid
has more oxygen pulling electrons away from the carbon
Where will H-bonding occur?
-OH -FH and -SH bonds
Amphipathic molecules
polar and nonpolar regions
ex: cholesterol and phospholipids
Is CO2 polar or nonpolar?
nonpolar by symmetry
Where does the polarity of amino acids make a big impact?
the active site of enzymes
transmembrane proteins
protein folding
What does plasma membrane keep out?
hydrophillic / polar molecules
Peptide hormones
composed of amino acids
large and polar
must use extracellular receptors
they quickly trigger a signal pathway to make short-term changes
Steroid hormones
derivatives of cholesterol
small and nonpolar
cross the plasma membrane and interact with nuclear receptors
trigger long-term changes more slowly
How do histones work generally?
histones are positively charged so they can attract negatively charged DNA
What do modifications like acetylation, phosphorylation and methylation do to histones?
normally replace the positively charged lysine with either neutral or negatively charged groups
this weakens the interaction between DNA and histones and the DNA loosens
when the DNA loosens, more gene expression can happen
What are the stereochemical configurations of most of our amino acids?
L and S configurations
Exceptions to configurations of amino acids
cysteine is R and glycine is not chiral
How can proline affect a protein?
can introduce kinks and make the protein more rigid
How can glycine affect a protein?
can decrease steric hindrance and make the protein more fluid
Which amino acid can form disulfide bridges?
cysteine
Which two amino acids have sulfur?
cysteine and met
Which amino acids are negatively charged / acidic?
D (aspartate)
E (glutamate)
both have carboxylic acids on their ends
Which amino acids are positively charged / basic?
lysine, arginine, and histidine
histidine is neutral in physiological conditions