Lecture 1: Introduction to Biochemistry Flashcards
What is an enzyme?
An enzyme is a biological catalyst which can promote biochemical reactions in living systems
What controls the synthesis of enzymes?
Controlled by gene expression. (Transcription, translations)
What are genes?
Units of hereditary information encoded in the structure of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid)
Of the elements of the periodic table what are living systems composed of.
Living systems are primarily composed of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen. They also contain Sulfur and phosphorous in minimal amounts as well as ions (Na+ K+ Mg2+ Ca2+ Cl-)
These as well as trace elements are necessary for the existence of living systems.
Who was able to simulate an abiotic primordial earth and show the origins of amino acid.
Stanley Miller (1953).
Showed that certain building blocks of complex bio molecules, such as amino acids could have been produced during abiotic earth conditions.
What are the biological macromolecules necessary for living systems?
Nucleic acids,
Proteins
Polysaccharides
Lipids
What is the monomer that makes up the biomolecule nucleic acids. (DNA AND RNA)
What is the monomer linked by?
Nucleotides linked together by phosphodiester bonds
What is the monomer that composes the macromolecule polysaccharides.
How are they bonded together?
Monosaccharide bonded together by glycolyside bonds (ether)
What is the monomer that makes up the macromolecule protein.
How are they bonded together?
Amino acids, Bonded by peptide bonds.
What are lipids composed of?
Fatty acid molecules connected via ester bonds
(LIPIDS ARE NOT POLYMERIC)
What was Koshlands essential attributes that distinguish living from non-living things
A program: a scheme for constitution and regeneration
Improvisation: Changing the program as surrounding change (evolution)
Compartmentalisation: can seperate itself from the environment via MEMBRANES
ENERGY: Ability to maintain order despite overall positive entropy
Regeneration: Repair from envrionmental hazards
Adaptability: Ability to respond to environmental changes
Seclusion: Operation of processes and pathways in isolation.
What is the universal unit of life?
Cells
What are the 3 fundamental cell types
Bacterial
Archael
Eukaryotic
What is a prokaryotic vs a eukaryotic cell
A prokaryotic cell has no membrane bound organelles whilst a eukaryotic cell does have membrane bound organelles.
A eukaryotic cell is generally more complex than a prokaryotic cell.
Of the 3 fundamental cell types, which ones fall under prokaryotic cells?
Bacterial and archael (however they are different in many aspects)
Eukaryotic cells can be ________ and ___________
Unicellular and multicellular
What is the study of bioinformatics?
Information science applied to biology:
Examples:
1. Mathematical analysis of DNA sequence data
2. in silico analysis of protein structure and function
3. Computer simulation of protein metabolic pathways
What is the study of genetics?
Examines the location, expression and function of individual genes or small groups of genes.
What is the study of genomics?
Genomics examines the entire genome and the totality of genetic information in an organism.
The mains goals are to:
1. Determine the total nucleotide sequence of an entire genome
2. Assess the expression and function of each gene
3. Understand evolutionary relationships of genes
What defines the structure and function of biomelecules?
NONCOVALENT INTERACTIONS
What is a noncovalent bond
A “weak” bond which is easy to break and reform making it useful for biochemical processes
Explain how binding of a hormone is affected by noncovalent bonds.
A hormone will attatch itself to the binding pocket and show surfaces that will complement each other. This will cause the formation of non-covalent bonds.
What are the 2 noncovalent interactions which can occur:
Charge-Charge interactions between two charged particles
Hydrogen bonding:
Explain how water transitions from a liquid to a gas,
Through thermal energy the H-bonds are broken within the water molecules and it will form a gaseous state.
Why is water considered suitable for “the medium of life”
Water contains a permanent dipole and and has 2 H bond donor sites and 2 H bond acceptor sites
It has a high heat capacity
Capable of solvating ionic compounds
What would occur with the solvation of a hydrophilic substance:
Water - Loving substance
Will be able to compete with intermolecular H-bond donors and acceptors.
What would occur with the solvation of a hydrophobic substance:
Solvent forms cage like structures around no polar molecule,
This will stabilise the protein structure by driving apolar groups together.
What would occur with the solvation of an amphipatic substance:
Amphipatic has both a hydrophobic and hydrophilic part to its molecular structure:
Will form a Micelle which is a formed mono layer around the molecule.
