Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

Biochemistry > Part 1 > Flashcards

Part 1 Flashcards

1
Q

A molecular description of the structures, mechanisms, and processes of living things.

A

Definition of biochemistry

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q
  • primary function: chemical reactions and structural components
  • Monomer: amino acid
  • polymer/macromolecule: protein or peptide/polypeptide
A

protein

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

-primary function: genetic information
- monomer: nucleotide
- polymer/ macromolecule: RNA/ DNA

A

nucleic acids

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

-primary function: energy storage/membranes
- monomer: lipids

A

lipids

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

-primary function: energy
- monomer: monosaccharide
- polymer/macromolecule: polysaccharide

A

carbohydrates

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

maintaining a steady-state with the environment, even when faced with external challenges.

A

homeostasis

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

an organic molecule that includes carbohydrates, protein, lipids, and nucleic acids.

A

biomolecules

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q
  • defines the periphery of the cell
  • composed of lipid and protein molecules
  • thin, flexible, hydrophobic barrier around the cell
  • contains embedded transport proteins, receptor proteins, and membrane enzymes
A

Plasma Membrane

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

internal volume enclosed by the plasma membrane; composed of cytosol and organelles

A

cytoplasm

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

(an aqueous solution) highly concentrated solution: contains enzymes RNA, amino acids, nucleotides, metabolites, coenzymes, and inorganic ions

A

cytosol

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

the site of protein synthesis

A

ribosomes

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

organic compounds required by many enzymes for catalytic activity

A

coenzymes

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

small molecules that are intermediate products of biochemical processes that take place in living organisms
-(such as amino acids, lipids, peptides, nucleic acids, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals)

A

metabolites

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

contains all of the cell’s chromosomes, which encode the genetic material.

A

nucleus

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

complete set of genes, composed of DNA

A

genomes

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

organisms whose cells contain a nucleus and other membrane-bound organelles.

A

eukaryotes

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

a microscopic single-celled organism that has neither a distinct nucleus with a membrane nor other specialized organelles

A

Prokaryotes

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

plentiful supply of O2; organisms transfer electrons from fuel to O2 for energy

A

Aerobic

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

devoid of O2; organisms transfer electrons to nitrate, sulfate, or CO2 for energy

A

Anaerobic

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

Mitochondria

A

the site of most of the energy-extracting reactions of the cell

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

polymers that are assembled from relatively simple precursors: proteins, nucleic acids, polysaccharides

A

macromolecules

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

long polymers of amino acids; can function as enzymes, structural elements, signal receptors, transporters

A

Proteins

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

polymers of nucleotides; store and transmit genetic information
- DNA and RNA

A

nucleic acids

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

polymers of simples sugars:
- energy-rich fuel stores
- rigid structural components of cell walls
- extracellular recognition elements that bind to proteins on other cells

A

polysaccharides

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

stereoisomers that are mirror images of each other

A

enantiomers

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

system exchanges both energy and matter with its surroundings

A

open system

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

one reactant is oxidized (loses electrons) as another is reduced (gains electrons)

A

oxidation-reduction

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
28
Q

represents the randomness or disorder of the components of a chemical system

A

entropy

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
29
Q

negative is spontaneous/ exergonic, positive is non-spontaneous/ endergonic

A

Gibbs Free energy

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
30
Q

a state in which opposing forces or influences are balanced.

A

equilibrium

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
31
Q

proteins that help speed up metabolism, or the chemical reactions in our bodies.

A

enzymes

32
Q

greatly enhance reaction rates of specific chemical reactions without being consumed in the process

A

catalyst

33
Q

The breakdown of complex molecules in living organisms to form simpler ones, together with the release of energy

A

catabolism

34
Q

synthetic pathways that require the input of energy

A

anabolism

35
Q

Is most often single-stranded and has a backbone made of alternating phosphate groups and the sugar ribose,

A

RNA

36
Q

the molecule that carries genetic information for the development and functioning of an organism.

A

DNA

37
Q

unmutated cells

A

Wild Type

38
Q

changes in the nucleotide sequence of DNA
- changes the instructions for a cellular component
- can be beneficial

A

mutation

39
Q

members of the same protein family

A

homologs

40
Q

Why don’t nonpolar compounds dissolve in water?

A

Nonpolar compounds do not dissolve in water due to thermodynamically unfavorable conditions (enthalpic and entropic problems)

41
Q

biomolecule containing both hydrophobic and hydrophilic regions

A

amphipathic molecules

42
Q

water flowing to areas of high concentration from areas of low concentration (not the size the quantity)

A

osmosis

43
Q

not net water movement

A

isotonic

43
Q

Cell in solution: water moves out and cell shrinks

A

hypertonic

44
Q

Cell in solution: water moves in creating outward pressure; cell swells, may burst

A

hypotonic

45
Q

What happens when a molecule ionizes?

A

gains or loses electrons; usually and equilibrium process but sometimes all or nothing with strong acids/ bases

46
Q

any process by which electrically neutral atoms or molecules are converted to electrically charged atoms or molecules (ions) through gaining or losing electrons.

A

ionization

47
Q

Strength of a chemical bond A-B
the energy required—an endothermic process—to break a bond and form two atomic or molecular fragments, each with one electron of the original shared pair

A

bond dissociation energy

48
Q

electrostatic attraction between the oxygen atom of one water molecule and the hydrogen of another

A

hydrogen bond

49
Q

water loving; describe compounds that dissolve easily in water; generally charged or polar compounds

A

hydrophilic

50
Q

water fearing; non polar molecules such as lipids and waxes

A

hydrophobic

51
Q

contain regions that are polar (or charged) and regions that are non-polar

A

amphipathic

52
Q

distance-dependent weak attractions and repulsions between transient dipoles

A

Van der Waals / London dipersion forces

53
Q

gives the position of equilibrium for the generalized reaction
- defined in terms of the concentrations of reactants and products at equilibrium

A

equilibrium constant / Keq

54
Q

figure expressing the acidity or alkalinity of a solution on a logarithmic scale on which 7 is neutral, lower values are more acidic and higher values are more alkaline.
- Defined by the expression: -log[H+]

A

pH

55
Q

used to differentiate between strong and weak acids. The acid dissociates more as the Ka increases. Strong acids must therefore dissociate more in water. A weak acid, on the other hand, is less likely to ionise and release a hydrogen ion, leading to a less acidic solution.

A

acid dissociation constant

56
Q
  • analogous to pH and defined by the equation:
    =log 1/Ka or =-logKa
  • the stronger the tendency to dissociate a proton, the stronger the acid and the lower its ___
A

pKa

57
Q

aqueous systems that tend to resist changes in pH when small amounts of acid or base are added
- consists of a weak acid (proton donor) and its conjugate base (proton acceptor) or vice versa

A

buffer

58
Q

describes the shape of the titration curve of any weak acid

A

Henderson-Hasselbach

59
Q

What are some functions of a protein?

A

transport, structure, channels, enzymes, signaling

60
Q

Which amino acid is achiral?

A

glycine

61
Q

Which amino acids are non polar and have aliphatic R groups?

A

glycine, alanin, proline, valine, leucine, isoleucine, methionine

62
Q

Which amino acids are aromatic?

A

phenylalanine, tyrosine, tryptophan

63
Q

Which amino acids are non charged polar (polar, uncharged R groups)

A

Serine, threonine, asparagine, glutamine, cysteine

64
Q

Which amino acids positively charged?

A

Histidine, arginine, lysine

65
Q

Which amino acids are negatively charged?

A

aspartate, glutamate

66
Q

What are the two ionizable groups on every amino acid and what is the possible third?

A

the amino group and carboxylic acid group and possibly the side chain

67
Q

a dipolar ion that has equal number of negative and positive charges

A

zwitterion

68
Q

the pH when the overall charge is 0 (less soluble, proteins and amino acids alike have a pI

A

Isoelectric Point

69
Q

water is released when we form a peptide bond between amino acids from the OH on the carboxy acid and the hydrogen connected to the nitrogen of the next amino acid

A

condensation reaction

70
Q

homologs within an organism

A

paralogs

71
Q

homologs among species

A

orthologs

72
Q

What is the resonance imply in a peptide bond?

A

implies rigidity for the backbone

73
Q

a collection of proteins that share >25% identical sequence (share common structure and function)

A

protein families

74
Q

What is the blood buffering system?

A

bicarbonate system

75
Q

When an amino acid is part of a polypeptide that amino acid is called a _____

A

residue

76
Q

naturally occurring variation in an aa sequence in a population or organism

A

polymorphism

Biochemistry (8 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions