Chemical Composition Analysis
Process of determining the elements and compounds present in a sample, often performed on living tissues to compare with non-living matter.
Primary Metabolites
Categories of compounds like amino acids and sugars found in animal tissues as essential components.
Biomacromolecules
Large biological molecules such as proteins, nucleic acids, and polysaccharides.
Proteins
Biological macromolecules composed of amino acid chains, crucial for various functions in living organisms.
Polysaccharides
Complex carbohydrates made of multiple sugar units, serving as energy storage or structural components.
Nucleic Acids
Biological macromolecules like DNA and RNA, essential for genetic information storage and transfer.
Structure of Proteins
The specific arrangement of amino acids in a protein molecule, determining its function and properties.
Nature of Bond Linking Monomers in a Polymer
The type of chemical bond, like peptide bonds in proteins, that connects monomer units to form a polymer.
Dynamic State of Body Constituents - Concept of Metabolism
The continuous process of body constituents' turnover and transformation, involving various metabolic reactions.
Metabolic Basis for Living
The fundamental biochemical processes that sustain life in organisms, involving energy production and molecule synthesis.
The Living State
The state of being alive characterized by various biological processes and functions.
Enzymes
Biological catalysts that speed up chemical reactions in living organisms, often specific to certain substrates.
Secondary Metabolites
Compounds like alkaloids and pigments found in plant, fungal, and microbial cells, with roles beyond basic metabolism.
Pigments
Colored compounds like carotenoids and anthocyanins, often involved in plant pigmentation and protection.
Alkaloids
Nitrogen-containing compounds with pharmacological effects, found in plants like morphine and codeine.
Terpenoids
Organic compounds derived from isoprene units, including essential oils and compounds with diverse functions.
Essential Oils
Aromatic oily liquids extracted from plants, often used in perfumes, flavorings, and traditional medicine.
Toxins
Harmful compounds produced by organisms, like abrin and ricin, often used for defense or predation.
Lectins
Proteins that bind to carbohydrates, playing roles in cell recognition and immune responses.
Drugs
Chemical substances with pharmacological effects, used for medicinal purposes like vinblastine and curcumin.
Polymeric Substances
Large molecules composed of repeating units, such as rubber, gums, and cellulose, with various biological functions.
Polymeric
Substances composed of multiple similar units bonded together
Micromolecules
Biomolecules with molecular weights under 1000 daltons
Macromolecules
Large molecules with molecular weights over 1000 daltons
Nucleic acids
Polymers of nucleotides, essential for genetic information storage
Peptide bonds
Chemical bonds linking amino acids in proteins
Glycosidic bond
Bond linking monosaccharides in polysaccharides
Phosphodiester bond
Bond linking nucleotides in nucleic acids, formed by phosphate and hydroxyl groups
Primary structure
Sequence of amino acids in a protein
Secondary structure
Regular structures like alpha-helices and beta-sheets in proteins
Tertiary structure
3D folding pattern of a protein, critical for its function
Quaternary structure
Arrangement of multiple protein subunits in a functional protein
Watson-Crick model
Secondary structure of DNA where it exists as a double helix with antiparallel strands, forming a sugar-phosphate-sugar backbone.
Base pairing
Specific pairing of adenine (A) with thymine (T) and guanine (G) with cytosine (C) in DNA, held together by hydrogen bonds.
B-DNA
Form of DNA with a double helix structure, where each step of ascent involves a pair of bases, turning 36° at each step.
Metabolism
Sum of all chemical reactions occurring in living organisms, involving the constant transformation of biomolecules through metabolic pathways.
Anabolic pathways
Metabolic pathways that lead to the synthesis of complex molecules from simpler ones, requiring energy input.
Catabolic pathways
Metabolic pathways that lead to the breakdown of complex molecules into simpler ones, releasing energy.
Glycolysis
Metabolic pathway involving the degradation of glucose into lactic acid in skeletal muscle, releasing energy.
Bioenergetics
Sub-discipline studying how living organisms derive, store, and utilize energy for various biological processes.
Steady state
Non-equilibrium state in living organisms characterized by constant concentrations of biomolecules, allowing continuous work.
Ribozymes
Nucleic acids that exhibit enzyme-like catalytic activity in biochemical reactions.
Chemical reaction
Process where chemical compounds undergo transformation by breaking and forming bonds, distinct from physical changes.
Rate of reaction
Measure of how fast a chemical or physical process occurs, influenced by factors like temperature and catalysis.
Carbonic anhydrase
Enzyme catalyzing the conversion of carbon dioxide and water into carbonic acid, significantly increasing the reaction rate.
Metabolic pathway
Series of enzyme-catalyzed reactions where each step is either catalyzed by the same enzyme complex or different enzymes.
Active Site
Specific region on an enzyme where the substrate binds
Substrate
Molecule that is converted into a product by an enzyme
Product
Resulting molecule(s) from the conversion of a substrate by an enzyme
Transition State
Structure formed during the state where substrate is bound to the enzyme active site
Activation Energy
Energy required for a reaction to occur; lowered by enzymes
Enzyme-Substrate Complex
Temporary complex formed when an enzyme binds to its substrate
Enzyme-Product Complex
Complex formed when an enzyme releases the products of a reaction
Competitive Inhibitor
Chemical that resembles the substrate and competes for the enzyme's active site
Optimum Temperature
Temperature at which an enzyme shows its highest activity
Optimum pH
pH at which an enzyme shows its highest activity
Vmax
Maximum velocity of an enzymatic reaction
Co-factors
Non-protein constituents bound to enzymes to make them catalytically active
Prosthetic Groups
Organic compounds tightly bound to the apoenzyme
Co-enzymes
Organic compounds transiently associated with the apoenzyme
Metal Ions
Metal ions required by some enzymes for their activity