BIOC 384: Module 5 Review

These flashcards cover key vocabulary terms and concepts from Module 5 of the BIOC 384 lecture notes, focused on hemoglobin mutations, enzyme functions, and muscle contraction mechanisms.

Hemoglobin Gene Mutation

A genetic alteration in the hemoglobin gene that can lead to blood disorders such as sickle cell disease.

Sickle Cell Disease

A genetically inherited condition characterized by abnormal hemoglobin (βS) causing red blood cells to become misshapen, leading to various health complications.

Actin-Myosin Motor

A molecular motor involved in muscle contraction, comprised of actin filaments and myosin proteins.

Enzyme Active Site

A specific region on an enzyme where substrate molecules bind and undergo a chemical reaction.

Cofactors

Non-protein chemical compounds that assist enzymes during the catalysis of reactions, often including metal ions or organic coenzymes.

Acid-Base Catalysis

A type of catalysis where proton transfer is involved in the reaction mechanism.

Covalent Catalysis

A mechanism in enzyme catalysis involving the formation of a transient covalent bond between the enzyme and substrate.

Metal-Ion Catalysis

A catalytic process that utilizes metal ions to facilitate reactions in enzyme mechanisms.

Induced Fit Model

A model describing how the binding of a substrate to an enzyme alters its shape to enhance the interaction.

Activation Energy (ΔG‡)

The minimum energy required for a chemical reaction to occur, which enzymes lower to facilitate the reaction.

Transition State Theory

A theory that explains how enzymes increase the rate of reaction by stabilizing the transition state.

Chymotrypsin

A serine protease enzyme that cleaves peptide bonds using acid-based and covalent catalysis.

Power Stroke

The conformational change in myosin that occurs after ATP hydrolysis, leading to muscle contraction.

Troponin Complex

A protein complex in muscle fibers that regulates the interaction between actin and myosin during contraction.

Stabilizing the Transition State

The mechanism by which enzymes lower activation energy by stabilizing the transition state, enhancing the reaction rate.

Titin Protein

A large protein that stabilizes and supports thick filaments in muscle fibers by anchoring them at the Z disks.

Hydrophobic Interactions

Interactions between hydrophobic molecules that can lead to molecular aggregation, such as in sickle cell hemoglobin.

Erythrocytes

Red blood cells responsible for transporting oxygen throughout the body.

HbbS Polymerization

The process by which mutated hemoglobin (HbbS) assembles into polymers, causing red blood cell distortion.