BIOC 2300 Study Guide - Winter 2018, Comprehensive Midterm Notes - Protein, Adenosine Triphosphate, Glucose
BIOC 2300
MIDTERM EXAM
STUDY GUIDE
Fall 2018
Introduction to Biochemistry
January 4th, 2016
Biochemistry – the scientific discipline that seeks to explain life at the molecular level
• Includes the structures, function and metabolism of the four major classes of
biomolecules
Macromolecules (proteins, nucleic acids and polysaccharides) are polymers of amino acids,
nucleotides and monosaccharides
• Proteins
o Carry out metabolic reactions
o Store energy
o Support cellular structures
• Nucleic acids
o Encode information
o Carry out metabolic reactions
o Support cellular structures
• Polysaccharides
o Encode information
o Store energy
o Support cellular structures
• Lipids
o Store energy
o Support cellular structures
Biochemistry connects the genotype to phenotype through the various “omes”
• ~21,000 protein coding human genes of which 25-50% are expressed in most cells at a
given time
• this results in several thousand types of proteins each with a distinct function
• that often involves metabolism (the breakdown/synthesis of biomolecules, storage and
the utilization of energy)
Anabolism – biosynthesis of larger, more electron-rich biomolecules (ex. Photosynthesis)
Catabolism – degradation (oxidation) of molecules to capture and utilize energy
Living organisms obey the laws of thermodynamics:
• any reversible process can proceed spontaneously in the direction that lowers the systems
Gibbs Free Energy (G) according to G = GB – GA
• G<0 – spontaneous exergonic
• G>0 – not spontenous endergonic
• G = H - T S
• H – enthalpy (energy) *reaction favoured if negative
• S – entropy (disorder) *reaction favoured if positive
• S is proportional to the number of possible ways a state could exist
• Thermodynamics predicts whether the reaction can occur; kinetics determines if it will
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
*see cell architecture
Units measured in biochemistry:
• Mega (M) - 106
• Kilo (K) – 10 3
• Milli (m) – 10 -3
• Micro (u) – 10-6
• Nano (n) – 10-9
• Pico (p) – 10-12
• Femto (f) – 10-15
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Biochemistry the scientific discipline that seeks to explain life at the molecular level. Includes the structures, function and metabolism of the four major classes of biomolecules. Anabolism biosynthesis of larger, more electron-rich biomolecules (ex. Catabolism degradation (oxidation) of molecules to capture and utilize energy. Living organisms obey the laws of thermodynamics: any reversible process can proceed spontaneously in the direction that lowers the systems. Units measured in biochemistry: mega (m) - 106, kilo (k) 10 3, milli (m) 10 -3, micro (u) 10-6, nano (n) 10-9, pico (p) 10-12, femto (f) 10-15 se2 - aqueous chemistry. Geometry of carbon bonding: sp3 orbital tetrahedral (109. 5 degrees, sp2 orbital planar (120 degrees, rotations about covalent bonds defines conformation, changes in configuration requires the making or breaking of covalent bonds. Molecular representations: alanine: structure, ball and stick, space fill (vdw radii) limited to electron cloud *spatial sense. *see some common functional groups in biomolecules figure 1-15.