amino acids part 1

Exam Structure

  • Type of Questions: 11 short answer questions

  • Source of Questions: Based on worksheet exercises

  • Difficulty: Can be challenging

Key Focus Areas

  • Buffer Adjustment Problems

    • Critical to master buffer adjustment problems; build confidence in tackling them.

  • Cloning Procedures

    • Understand procedural steps of cloning techniques.

    • Emphasis on the rationale behind various components, such as the promoter region.

Importance of Proteins in Biology

  • Roles of Proteins

    • Proteins perform a multitude of life functions (e.g., muscle movement, digestion).

    • Essential for catalyzing biochemical reactions—central to understanding life processes.

  • Major Macromolecules

    • Proteins are one of the four major classes of macromolecules alongside nucleic acids.

    • Previous classes discussed nucleic acids and their structures built from nucleotides to DNA.

    • Transitioning focus to proteins for the next four to six weeks in the course.

Learning Objectives for Protein Structure

  • By the end of the protein section:

    • Ability to analyze and describe 3D protein structures.

    • Understanding biochemists’ representations of proteins as informative graphical depictions.

  • Data Encoded in 3D Graphics

    • Identification of regulatory regions, hydrophobic vs. charged areas, enzymatic activity sites, and binding pockets.

Amino Acids Overview

  • Basic Structure of Amino Acids

    • Central tetrahedral carbon, chiral properties, and specific substituents.

    • Each amino acid has carboxylic acid and amino functional groups.

    • Chirality implications in amino acid forms (R/S nomenclature).

  • Chemical Properties

    • Distinction between electrophilic and nucleophilic ends of the molecules.

    • Negatively and positively charged states related to pH levels in biological systems (zwitterions).

Chirality and Projections in Amino Acids

  • Fischer Projection

    • Limitations of Fischer projections in depicting actual tetrahedral geometry.

    • Importance of orientation in determining chirality and its biological significance.

  • Standard Configuration

    • L amino acids constitute the predominant form in biological systems.

Historical Context and Discovery of Amino Acids

  • Early Discoveries

    • The first amino acid, asparagine, discovered in 1863 from asparagus juice.

    • The timeline of discovering the standard 20 amino acids spanned approximately 70 years until 1938.

    • Recognition of the substantial effort and lives dedicated to amino acid research.

Study Recommendations

  • Post-quiz tactics:

    • Use mnemonics and memory aids for memorization of amino acids.

    • Develop a deeper understanding of the structure-function relationship of amino acids in proteins.