Biochem 1.1 -Biochemistry and Molecular Biology: Structure, Function, and Properties

Vocabulary practice flashcards generated from the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology module covering carbohydrate, protein, and nucleic acid classification, chemical structures, and properties.

Biochemistry

The chemistry of life and the study of chemical substances, processes, and changes within living organisms that connect molecular events to physiologic function and disease.

Molecular Biology

The field of biology focused on the study of the chemical structures and functions of molecules within cells, such as nucleic acids and proteins.

Classical biochemistry

An approach involving isolating and studying one molecule at a time to determine its individual properties and functions.

Modern "omics" technology

An approach that analyzes and studies many molecules simultaneously to understand their interactions and overall behavior within a cell.

Anabolic pathway

A metabolic pathway that builds or synthesizes larger molecules from smaller ones and requires energy.

Catabolic pathway

A metabolic pathway that breaks down molecules to release energy or usable components.

Amphibolic pathway

A dual-purpose metabolic pathway that can participate in both catabolic and anabolic processes depending on cellular needs, such as the Citric Acid/TCA Cycle.

Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA)

A laboratory assay utilizing enzyme labelling of antigens or antibodies to yield a colored reaction product measured by spectrophotometers.

Electrochemiluminescence Immunoassay (ECLIA)

A laboratory assay that uses electrochemical reactions to generate chemiluminescent light signals without producing a colored molecule.

Carbohydrates

Organic compounds that have at least 3 carbon atoms, multiple hydroxyl (-OH) groups, and a carbonyl group (aldehyde or ketone), represented by the simple stoichiometric formula $(CH_2O)_n$.

Monosaccharides

Simple, monomeric sugars consisting of a single polyhydroxylaldehyde or polyhydroxylketone unit that cannot be further hydrolyzed into smaller molecules.

Disaccharides

Carbohydrates consisting of two monosaccharide units connected by a glycosidic bond.

Oligosaccharides

Carbohydrates that yield 3 to 10 monosaccharides upon hydrolysis.

Polysaccharides

Polymers composed of more than 10 monosaccharides joined in long linear or branched chains.

Aldoses

Monosaccharides containing an aldehyde functional group located at carbon C1.

Ketoses

Monosaccharides containing a ketone functional group located at carbon C2.

Isomers

Compounds that share the same structural or chemical formula but vary in their spatial configuration.

Chiral carbon

An asymmetric carbon atom that is covalently attached to 4 different substituents or groups.

Enantiomers

Stereoisomers that are non-superimposable mirror images of each other, such as D and L optical configurations.

Epimers

Diastereomers that differ in spatial configuration around only one specific chiral carbon atom.

Anomeric carbon

The carbon atom that bears the aldehyde or ketone group in open-chain form and becomes an asymmetric chiral center upon ring cyclization.

Mutarotation

The process of spontaneous interconversion between cyclic $\frac{\text{A}}{\text{B}}$ anomers (namely $\text{α}$ and $\text{β}$ forms) of a sugar in solution via its open-chain structure.

Glycosidic bond

A covalent bond formed via a condensation reaction connecting the anomeric carbon of one monosaccharide to another monosaccharide or functional group.

Amylose

A linear, unbranched component of starch consisting of around 100 to 1000 glucose residues linked via $\text{α}(1→4)$ glycosidic bonds.

Amylopectin

A highly branched polysaccharide component of starch featuring linear $\text{α}(1→4)$ linkages and $\text{α}(1→6)$ glycosidic branch points every 25 to 30 glucose residues.

Glycogen

The primary storage polysaccharide in animal cells, featuring $\text{α}(1→4)$ linear chains and dense $\text{α}(1→6)$ branching every 8 to 10 residues.

Cellulose

A long, unbranched structural plant polysaccharide made of D-glucose units linked by $\text{β}(1→4)$ glycosidic bonds.

Chitin

A linear homopolymer of N-acetylglucosamine residues connected by $\text{β}(1→4)$ glycosidic bonds, forming exoskeletons of invertebrates and arthropods.

Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs)

Long, unbranched heteropolysaccharides composed of repeating disaccharide units of an amino sugar (hexosamine) and an uronic acid (except keratan sulfate).

Amino acids

Monomeric building blocks of proteins, consisting of an $\text{α}$-carbon covalently linked to a carboxylic acid group, an amino group, a hydrogen atom, and a distinct R side chain.

Zwitterions

Molecules in solution that carry both positive and negative charges simultaneously, resulting in a net electrical charge of zero.

Peptide bond

A covalent bond formed by a dehydration reaction between the carboxyl group of one amino acid and the amino group of another.

Primary structure of a protein

The specific linear sequence of amino acids in a polypeptide chain along with the locations of disulfide bonds.

Secondary structure of a protein

Local 3D folding conformations of a polypeptide chain (such as $\text{α}$-helices or $\text{β}$-pleated sheets) stabilized by hydrogen bonding between peptide backbone atoms.

Tertiary structure of a protein

The overall three-dimensional spatial arrangement and geometric relationships between distant amino acid residues and side chains in a single polypeptide chain.

Quaternary structure of a protein

The structural arrangement and spatial packing of multiple folded polypeptide subunits forming a multi-chain protein complex.

Nucleoproteins

Complexes composed of nucleic acids bound to proteins, such as histones or protamines.

Nucleosome

A structural unit of eukaryotic chromatin consisting of DNA wrapped around an octamer core of basic histone proteins.

Purines

Double-ring aromatic nitrogenous bases comprising Adenine (A) and Guanine (G).

Pyrimidines

Single-ring aromatic nitrogenous bases comprising Cytosine (C), Thymine (T), and Uracil (U).

Nucleoside

A structural unit formed by covalently linking a nitrogenous base to a pentose sugar.

Nucleotide

A monomeric unit of nucleic acids consisting of a nitrogenous base, a pentose sugar, and an inorganic phosphate group.

Phosphodiester bond

The covalent linkage that connects nucleotides in a nucleic acid strand by linking the 3'-OH group of one pentose sugar to the 5'-OH group of another through a phosphate group.

Chargaff's Rules

Principles governing DNA base composition stating that the amount of adenine equals thymine ($A = T$) and the amount of guanine equals cytosine ($G = C$).

Transfer RNA (tRNA)

An RNA molecule featuring a cloverleaf secondary structure and L-shaped tertiary structure that transports specific amino acids to the ribosome during protein translation.

Messenger RNA (mRNA)

Monocistronic eukaryotic RNA carrying genetic information transcribed from DNA to ribosomes, characterized by a 5' 7-methylguanylic acid cap and a 3' polyadenylic acid tail.

Small Nuclear RNA (snRNA)

Highly conserved nuclear RNA molecules (60 to 300 nucleotides) that complex with proteins to form snRNPs involved in pre-mRNA splicing.