Biochemistry and Cellular Biology Exam Notes

Biochemistry

• Anatomy of the Atom
  • Atomic Number: The number of protons in the nucleus, which defines the element.
  • Mass Number: The total number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus.
• Subatomic Particles: Include the nucleus, protons, neutrons, and electrons.
• Isotopes: Atoms with the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons, leading to different atomic masses.
• Atom Characteristics:
  • Small size and low weight
  • Retain properties during chemical reactions
  • Valence Electrons: Electrons in the outermost shell
  • Types of elements: Metals, Non-Metals, and Metalloids.

Properties of Mathematics in Chemistry

• Associative Property: Changing the grouping of numbers does not change the result.
• Commutative Property: Changing the order of numbers does not change the result.
• Distributive Property: Multiplying a number by a sum or difference.

Molecule and Compound Definitions

• Molecule: Defined as a group of atoms bonded together.
• Compound: A substance formed when two or more different elements are chemically bonded together.
• Organic Molecules: Typically contain carbon, essential for life.

Scientific Method

• Inductive Reasoning: Generalizing from specific observations.
• Deductive Reasoning: Starting with a general statement and predicting specific outcomes.
• Independent Variable: The variable that is changed or controlled in an experiment.
• Dependent Variable: The variable that is measured in the experiment.

Periodic Table Insights

• How to Read: Understand symbol, atomic number, and atomic mass.
• Trends: Trends such as atomic radius, electronegativity, and ionization energy.
• Charge Calculation: To calculate if the atom were to ionize, analyze the number of protons and electrons.

Mass, Weight, and Isotopes

• Mass vs. Weight: Mass is a measure of substance, while weight is the effect of gravity on that mass.
• Isotopes:
  • Most common examples include carbon-12 and carbon-14.
  • Cations: Positively charged ions formed by losing electrons.
  • Anions: Negatively charged ions formed by gaining electrons.

Electron Orbital Properties

• Electron Configuration: The distribution of electrons among the orbitals.
• Octet Rule: Atoms tend to bond in a way that fills their outer shell with 8 electrons.

Types of Bonding

• Non-polar Covalent: Bonds where electrons are shared equally.
• Polar Covalent: Bonds where electrons are shared unequally, leading to partial charges.
• Ionic Bonds: Formed by the transfer of electrons from one atom to another, typically between metals and non-metals.

Properties of Water and States of Matter

• Properties of Water: Includes cohesion, adhesion, high specific heat, and universal solvent characteristics.
• States of Matter: Solid, liquid, gas; understanding their properties and transitions.

pH and Mers

• pH: A measure of hydrogen ion concentration in solutions, affecting acidity and basicity.
• Mers:
  • Monomers (Mono): Single unit.
  • Dimers (Di): Two units bonded together.
  • Oligomers (Oligo): Few units bonded together.
  • Polymers (Poly): Large molecules composed of many repeated subunits.

Cellular Biology

• Anatomy of Carbohydrates:
  • General characteristics, their identification, and where they are found in the body (e.g., glucose).
• Anatomy of Proteins: Their general characteristics and identification methods in the body.
• Anatomy of Nucleic Acids: Identifying nucleic acids and their role in biological systems, including RNA and DNA.
• Anatomy of Lipids: Characteristics and biological locations.

Metabolism Overview

• Metabolism Categories:
  • Catabolism: Breakdown of molecules to extract energy.
  • Anabolism: Synthesis of compounds for growth and repair.

Cell Biology and Functions

• Cell Theory: Fundamental concepts regarding the structure and function of cells.
• Identify Organelles: Understanding the structure, function, and location (S, F, L & Special Items).
• Cell Membrane Function: Explains concentration gradients, tonicity (hypotonic, hypertonic, isotonic), and transport mechanisms (passive and active transport).

Molecular Biology and the Central Dogma

• Central Dogma: Explains the flow of genetic information from DNA to RNA to proteins.
  • DNA Structure:
  • Double helix, bonded by base pairs (A-T, G-C).
  • RNA Structure: Single helix, contains uracil in place of thymine.
• Protein Synthesis:
  • Transcription: Process of copying DNA to RNA.
  • Translation: Protein assembly from mRNA.
• Cell Cycle and DNA Replication: Encompasses processes involved in cellular division and genetic continuity, regulated by specific enzymes.