ME01 - Introduction to Biochemistry

Question 1

Why is aspirin given for treatment of Heart Disease?

Answer 1

Aspirin interferes with production of prostaglandins and thromboxanes. Prostaglandins mediates pain and fever. Thromboxanes produces platelet aggregation. No platelet aggregation, no clot formation, no obstruction of coronary vessels. NO HEART ATTACK.

Question 2

What’s with Carbon? What’s Catenation?

Answer 2

Carbon binds to itself. Catenation is combing of two identical atoms.
Carbon is extremely versatile.

Question 3

Role of Carnitine in weight loss?

Answer 3

Carnitine functions to transport fatty acids to the mitochondria where oxidation of fatty acids takes place,
Carnitine serves as shuttle thus helping in fat metabolism.

Question 4

Can glutathione really whiten your skin?

Answer 4

Melanin is responsible for the color of skin.
Eumelanin - brown black pigment
Pheomelanin - reddish brown pigment
Glutathione results in the formation of pheomelanin. “Rosy white skin”

Question 5

(-) charged ion

Answer 5

Anion

Question 6

What defective enzyme is involved why people turn red after drinking only one bottle of beer?

Answer 6

Aldehyde dehydrogenase. Genetic defect in the enzyme causes the low affinity for acetaldehyde. Thus conversion from ethanol to acetate is very slow. High steady state level of acetaldehyde in the blood causes increased sensitivity to alcohol resulting to facial flushing and rapid heart rate.

Question 7

Bond where two atoms share one or more of their electrons?

Answer 7

Covalent bond.

Question 8

Bond where an ion transfers one or more electrons to another ion?

Answer 8

Ionic Bond.

Question 9

Bonding Reaction - attractive forces between opposite dipoles cause water molecules to bind

Answer 9

Hydrogen-bonding

Question 10

Bonding reaction - Results in substitution or addition reaction

Answer 10

Nucleophilic reactions. X(-) is attracted to (+) polarized carbon

Question 11

Example of C-H compounds

Answer 11

Methane, Methyl Groups

Generally water insoluble

Question 12

(+) charged ion

Answer 12

Cation

Question 13

Bonding reaction - Ion formation is facilitated by partial charges on polar C-Cl bond

Answer 13

Heterolytic Bond Cleavage

Question 14

Example of C-O Compounds

Answer 14

Carbon bonded to Oxygen.

Alcohol, Aldehyde, Ketone

Question 15

Bonding reaction - Liberation of proton aided by the polar O-H bond of carboxylic acids

Answer 15

Acid ionization

Question 16

Example of C-N compounds

Answer 16

Amines - (+) charged in water
Amide - uncharged in water
Rings - Purines, Pyramidines

Question 17

Biological catalysts

Answer 17

Enzymes

Question 18

What does enzyme acts on

Answer 18

Substrate

Question 19

DNA Structure

Answer 19

double-stranded; double helix

Question 20

Nucleic acid structure

Answer 20

Nitrogenous bases, Phosphate group + Deoxyribose/Ribose sugar

Question 21

Single-ring structure

Answer 21

Pyrimidines (C, T and U)

Question 22

Double - ring structures

Answer 22

Purines (A and G)

Question 23

Enzyme used in replication

Answer 23

DNA Replication

Question 24

Functions of Amino Acids

Answer 24

Transport protein, Structural protein, Enzymes, Antibodies, Cell Receptors

Question 25

Functions of CHO

Answer 25

Store energy in the form of starch, Provide energy through metabolism pathway, Supply carbon for synthesis, Form structural components, Intracellular communications

Question 26

Functions of Fatty Acids

Answer 26

Storage of energy in the form of fat, Membrane structures, Insulation, Synthesis of Hormones

Question 27

Energy requiring biosynthetic pathway

Answer 27

Anabolism

Question 28

Degradation of fuel molecules

Answer 28

Catabolism

Question 29

Primary functions of METABOLISM

Answer 29

Utilization of energy, Synthesis of molecules needed, Removal of waste products

Question 30

Entirety of an organism’s hereditary information

Answer 30

Genome

Question 31

Large-scale study of proteins, particularly their structures and functions

Answer 31

Proteomics

Question 33

What is resonance?

Answer 33

When double bonds are on alternate Carbon Atoms and bonding e- move within the molecule