MODULE 1: Chapter 1.1 Flashcards
What discovery did Eduard Buchner make in 1897?
Buchner discovered that an extract of yeast cells could convert glucose to carbon dioxide and ethanol under anaerobic conditions
This finding led to the establishment of biochemistry as a field by demonstrating that fermentation could occur outside living cells.
What are the four major classes of small biomolecules present in living cells?
- Nucleic acids
- Proteins
- Carbohydrates
- Lipids
What does biochemistry aim to explain?
Biochemistry aims to explain biological processes at the molecular and cellular levels.
What is fermentation?
The conversion of rotting fruit or grain into alcohol and CO2 through the action of yeast enzymes under anaerobic conditions.
What are the two key enzymes required for the fermentation of glucose to ethanol and carbon dioxide by yeast?
- Pyruvate decarboxylase
- Alcohol dehydrogenase
What principle did Buchner’s work establish for the field of biochemistry?
Buchner’s work established that in vitro studies are the cornerstone for numerous advances in medical science.
What is the hierarchical organization of biochemical processes?
It underlies the chemical basis for life on Earth.
Fill in the blank: DNA is the chemical basis for _______.
[heredity]
What role does water play in biological processes?
Life depends on water because of its distinctive chemical properties and its central role in biochemical reactions.
Who provided the crystallographic data used to decipher the structure of the DNA double helix?
Rosalind Franklin
What significant technological advancement occurred in the 1970s in biochemistry?
The development of recombinant DNA technology.
True or False: Biochemistry is only concerned with living organisms.
False
What are biological membranes characterized as?
Selective hydrophobic barriers that define aqueous compartments in which biochemical reactions take place.
What was one of the first biochemical processes to be investigated?
Fermentation
What does a reductionist approach in biochemistry involve?
Breaking open cells and isolating their components for use in in vitro chemical reactions.
Fill in the blank: Enzymes are responsible for _______.
[aerobic respiration, fermentation, nitrogen metabolism, energy conversion, programmed cell death]
What is the significance of pyruvate decarboxylase and alcohol dehydrogenase in yeast?
They are essential for converting pyruvate into ethanol and carbon dioxide during fermentation.
What did Buchner use to prepare his yeast extracts?
Quartz mixed with diatomaceous earth (kieselguhr)
What is a core discipline in the life sciences that provides guiding principles for medicine and agriculture?
Biochemistry
What is one application of applied biochemistry?
- Development of new pharmaceutical drugs
- Diagnostic tests for detecting abnormalities
- Improved detergents based on enzymatic reactions
- Faster ripening of fruits and vegetables using ethylene gas
True or False: The understanding of biochemical processes has not significantly impacted human life spans.
False
What does the function of a biomolecule depend on?
Its molecular structure, which is fine-tuned by evolution through random DNA mutations and natural selection.
What did experiments by Louis Pasteur and others initially suggest about fermentation?
That a vital life force was required for fermentation.
