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.