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Biochemistry Fundamentals

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Termini in questo insieme (28)

  • What are the three main subatomic particles of an atom?
    Protons (positive charge), neutrons (neutral), and electrons (negative charge).
  • Where is most of an atom's mass located?
    In the nucleus, which contains protons and neutrons.
  • What determines the atomic number of an element?
    The number of protons in the nucleus of an atom.
  • Define isotopes.
    Atoms with the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons, having identical chemical properties but different mass numbers.
  • What is atomic weight?
    The average mass of an element's atoms, accounting for the relative abundance of its isotopes.
  • What is the significance of the valence shell in an atom?
    The outermost electron shell that determines an atom's chemical reactivity.
  • Why are noble gases inert?
    They have full outer electron shells, making them stable and unreactive.
  • How do cations and anions form?
    Cations form by losing electrons (positive charge), anions by gaining electrons (negative charge).
  • What is an ionic bond?
    A chemical bond formed by the electrical attraction between cations and anions.
  • What is a covalent bond?
    A bond formed by sharing electrons between atoms.
  • Difference between polar and nonpolar covalent bonds?
    Polar bonds share electrons unequally, creating partial charges; nonpolar bonds share electrons equally.
  • What are the three states of matter relevant to biochemistry?
    Solid (fixed shape and volume), liquid (fixed volume, shape varies), and gas (no fixed shape or volume).
  • What role do hydrogen bonds play in water?
    Hydrogen bonds attract water molecules to each other, affecting water's properties like surface tension and heat capacity.
  • Define metabolism.
    All chemical reactions occurring in the body at any moment.
  • What is activation energy?
    The minimum energy required to initiate a chemical reaction.
  • How do enzymes affect activation energy?
    Enzymes lower activation energy, allowing reactions to proceed under physiological conditions.
  • What is the difference between kinetic and potential energy?
    Kinetic energy is energy of motion; potential energy is stored energy with the capacity to do work.
  • What is a mole in chemistry?
    A quantity of substance containing Avogadro's number of atoms or molecules, with mass in grams equal to atomic or molecular weight.
  • What is the role of water as a solvent?
    Water's polarity allows it to dissolve many inorganic and organic molecules, facilitating biochemical reactions.
  • Define pH and its physiological importance.
    pH measures hydrogen ion concentration; maintaining normal pH is vital for cellular function and enzyme activity.
  • What are buffers and their function?
    Buffers stabilize pH by removing or replacing hydrogen ions, maintaining homeostasis.
  • What elements primarily compose organic compounds?
    Carbon, hydrogen, and usually oxygen.
  • What are carbohydrates and their main function?
    Organic molecules with a 1:2:1 ratio of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen; primarily serve as energy sources.
  • Difference between saturated and unsaturated fatty acids?
    Saturated fatty acids have no double bonds and are fully hydrogenated; unsaturated have one or more double bonds.
  • What are proteins made of?
    Long chains of amino acids linked by peptide bonds.
  • Describe the four levels of protein structure.
    Primary (amino acid sequence), secondary (alpha-helix or beta-sheet), tertiary (3D folding), quaternary (multiple polypeptide subunits).
  • What is ATP and its role?
    Adenosine triphosphate, the main high-energy compound that stores and transfers energy in cells.
  • What are nucleic acids and their function?
    DNA and RNA; store and transfer genetic information for protein synthesis.