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.