Option B: Biochemistry HL Flashcards
How many dissociation constants does a cationic form of 2-amino acids with non-ionizable side-chain have?
two: -COOH and -NH3^+
- COOH has relatively higher acidity and dissociates more easily than the protonated amino group, so pKa1 characterizes the equilibrium between the cation and the zwitterion
Acid-base buffer
Contains a weak conjugate acid-base pair which can neutralise small amounts of strong acids and bases without significantly changing the pH.
Buffer pH range of an amino acids as acid-base buffer and why?
from pH = pKa1 - 1 to pKa1 + 1
and
from pH = pKa2 - 1 to pKa2 + 1
outside of these ranges, the amino acids exist predominately as a single ionic species and loses its ability to maintain a constant pH of the solution
What is the role of protein buffers?
They maintain a constant pH of biological fluids, which is essential for the integrity of body tissues and enzyme functions
Allosteric site
Many enzymes can temporarily bind to specific molecules via weak non-covalent interaction.
When allosteric site is occupied, the shape of the enzyme changes, which alters the configuration of the main active site, which affects the stability of the enzyme-substrate complex
Non-competitive inhibition
When substrate and the inhibitor have different chemical structures and bind to different sites of the enzyme.
Competitive inhibition
When substrate and the inhibitor have similar chemical structure and the inhibitor may occupy the main active site fo the enzyme
Michaelis-Menten equation
v = (Vmax [S])/(Km + [S])
v: actual reaction rate
Vmax: maximum reaction rate
Km: Michaelis constant, which is equal to the substrate concentration when v=0.5Vmax
Turnover number
the maximum number
of substrate molecules that one molecule of enzyme can convert to product per second
What does small km (Michaelis constant) mean?
A small Km
indicates high affinity, which means that
enzyme–substrate complex ES is particularly stable and the rate will approach Vmax
even at relatively low substrate concentrations
Protein assay
Analytical procedure that detects proteins and the determines their concentrations in solutions
UV-vis spectroscopy
Technique that measures the absorption of UV and/or visible light by proteins or their complexes with organic dyes and transition metal ions
Why almost all proteins absorb UV light?
- due to the presence of aromatic rings in phenylalanien, tyrosine and tryptophan residues
- complexes of proteins with transition metal ions absorb visible light due to d-orbital electron transitions
Absorbance of a sample
The logarithmic ration between the intensity of light emitted by the monochromator (Io) and the intensity of light passed through the sample (I)
A = log (Io/I)
Beer-Lambert law
A = εcL
where L is the cuvette length and ε is a constant (known as the molar absorptivity or extinction coefficient) that depends on the solvent nature and the temperature of the solution
Nucleic acids
Condensation polymers of nucleotides
Nucleotides
Products of condenstaion of a nitrogenous base, a pentose sugar (ribose or deoxyribose) and phosphoric acid.
Nitrogenous bases
Heterocyclic aromatic amines that contain several nitrogen atoms and act as proton acceptors in aqueous solutions
- derived from two parent amines: pyrimidine and purine
- crystalline substance with high melting points due to the presence of multiple polar groups
- insoluble in water because their molecules are held togehter by strong hydrogen bonds
Pyrimidine
cytosine, thymine, uracil