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Biochemistry
Biochemistry is the study of the structure, composition and chemical processes in all living organisms. It covers the structures and functions of various cellular components, including proteins, carbohydrates, nucleic acids, lipids, and other biomolecules.
8,065 Questions
What type of structure do proteins which act as enzymes possess?
Proteins that act as enzymes typically have a specific three-dimensional structure called an active site. This active site is where the enzyme binds to its target molecule, known as the substrate, to catalyze a chemical reaction. The structure of the active site allows enzymes to be highly specific in their function.
Does oxytocin have a secondary structure or tertiary protein structure?
Yes it does. It also commonly contains quaternary structure.
Secondary structure refers to folding and bonding interactions between atoms of the polypeptide backbone, either forming alpha-helices or Beta-sheets. Oxytocin contains both of these secondary structures as well as Beta-turns. Beta-sheets come in anti-parallel and parallel versions. Parallel means that the direction of the associated chains run in the same direction; N-terminus to C-terminus. Anti-parallel means that one or more of the associated chains run in an opposite direction to the others.
Tertiary structure refers to interactions between side chains of the polypeptide residues. a good example of this is the disulfide bonds liking two cysteine residues which does occur in Oxytocin.
Quaternary structure refers to association of separate polypeptide chains. Oxytocin can be found as a single chain in which case there is no quaternary structure. It is not uncommon however to find it as a pentamer, tetramer, or dimer. Conditions play a major factor in effecting its quaternary structure. whether it is in aqueous solution, biological conditions (cells), or crystallized. Another good example of quaternary structure is Hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is a dimer of dimers. 2 alpha-globin chains and 2 beta-globin chains.
Why methionine is n formylated in prokaryotes but not in eukaryotes?
Methionine is formylated in prokaryotes to signal the start of translation at the ribosome. This formylation is absent in eukaryotes because they use a different mechanism, relying on the recognition of the 5' cap structure on mRNA to initiate translation instead.
Why is phenylalanine observed in the urine of a classical PKU patient?
PKU stands for phenylketonuria, the classic symptom of which (and the diagnostic test for the disease) is phenylalanine in the urine. This is a genetic disorder in which the body is unable to process phenylalalanine, so it is excreted in the urine.
Approved medications prescribed by a healthcare professional based on your specific medical condition can be helpful in treating various illnesses, such as antibiotics for bacterial infections, insulin for diabetes, or antidepressants for mental health disorders. It is important to follow your doctor's advice and not self-medicate.
No, amino acids are not steroids. Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins and play essential roles in various biological processes, while steroids are a type of lipid characterized by a carbon skeleton consisting of four fused rings.
Which disaccharide does hydrolysis give glucose and fructose?
Sucrose is the disaccharide that, upon hydrolysis by the enzyme sucrase, yields glucose and fructose.
Does vitamin d help muscle tone?
Yes, but way of exposure to the sun. Very few foods contain vitamin D so synthesis of vitamin D in the skin is the major natural source of the vitamin. Vitamins A, D, and B12 are stored in significant amounts in the human body, mainly in the liver. But after the stores are gone, there will be a deficiency condition. Well-known human vitamin deficiencies involve thiamine (beriberi), niacin (pellagra), vitamin C (scurvy), and vitamin D (rickets).
What are the sources of reducing and non reducing sugars?
Reducing sugars can be sourced from fruits, honey, and some vegetables like carrots. Non-reducing sugars are commonly found in foods like table sugar (sucrose) and milk. Both types of sugars play important roles in our diet and provide energy for the body.
How is Cu oxidized by atmospheric O2?
Copper (Cu) is oxidized by atmospheric oxygen (O2) through a redox reaction where Cu atoms lose electrons to oxygen molecules, forming copper oxide (CuO). This process occurs in the presence of moisture and leads to the formation of a greenish layer of copper oxide (patina) on the copper surface over time.
What might happen to a person whose diet is deficient in vitamin A and vitamin D?
You get the symptoms and signs of vitamin A deficiency. Those are night blindness, Bitot's spots, keratomalacia and corneal ulcers and blindness. Your diet is usually deficient in vitamin D, unless you eat fish, specially fish liver. You get the vitamin D in presence of sunlight. Sub-clinical deficiency of vitamin D is very common, probably.
Why does hydrolysis of lipid molecules yield fatty acids and glycerol?
The hydrolysis of lipid molecules breaks the ester bonds that hold the fatty acids to the glycerol molecule. This process involves the addition of water molecules to the bonds, leading to the separation of fatty acids and glycerol as individual components.
What are tresemme shampoo ingredients?
Tresemme shampoo typically contains ingredients such as water, sodium Laureth sulfate, cocamidopropyl betaine, sodium chloride, fragrance, and citric acid. It may also contain additional ingredients depending on the specific formulation.
What building blocks of life are used to make proteins?
Proteins are the main building blocks and functional molecules of the cell, taking up almost 20% of a eukaryotic cell's weight, the largest contribution after water (70%). Proteins are made from small molecules called amino acids. There are many types of proteins some of which are: * Structural proteins
which can be thought of as the organism's basic building blocks. An example is collagen, which is the major structural protein of connective tissue and bone.
* Enzymes
which perform (catalyse) a multitude of biochemical reactions, such as altering, joining together or chopping up other molecules. Together these reactions and the pathways they make up is called metabolism. For example the first step in the glycolysis pathway, which is the conversion of glucose to glucose 6-phosphate, is catalysed by the enzyme hexokinase. Usually enzymes are very specific and catalyse only a single type of reaction, however the same enzyme can play a role in more than one pathway.
* Transmembrane proteins
are key in the maintenance of the cellular environment, regulating cell volume, extraction and concentration of small molceules from the extracellular environment and generation of ionic gradients essential for muscle and nerve cell function. An example is the sodium/potassium pump.
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What is the suffix for enzymes?
bio- means life and -ology means study of, therefore biology means the study of life
Why are lipid bylayers called plasma membranes?
a phosolipid bilayer makes up the plasma membrane. The bilayer forms because the hydrophobic regions (water hating) cling together and face inwards while the hydrophillic regions (water loving) attract each other and face the outside, water touching area. Lipids are amphiphillic, meaning they have both water loving, and water hating regions within its structure, allowing them to conform into a bilayer structure
What toxic forms of oxygen is improperly paired with the detoxifying enzyme or molecule?
Superoxide (O2-) is improperly paired with catalase, as catalase is more effective against hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Nitric oxide (NO) is improperly paired with superoxide dismutase (SOD), as SOD mainly targets superoxide.
What are the reactants and products in the Calvin cycle?
Reactants: ATP, NADPH2, CO2,
Products: Glucose, Oxygen
What is the name of the enzyme in omo?
The enzyme in Omo is called protease. It helps break down protein-based stains, such as those from food and sweat, making it easier for the detergent to remove them from clothing during the washing process.
What may eventually happen to the body's tissues if the diet does not contain esential amino acids?
Most foods contain all the essential amino acids.
Protein is made from amino acids. Humans can synthesize most of the amino acids that we need to make protein, with the exception of nine essential amino acids (histadine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine) that must come from the foods we eat.
In 1914, Thomas B. Osborne and Lafayette B. Mendel conducted studies which suggested that rats grew best when fed a combination of plant foods whose amino acid patterns resembled that of animal tissue. The term "complete protein" was coined to describe a protein in which all nine essential amino acids are present in the same proportion that they occur in animals. "Incomplete protein" described the varying amino acid patterns in plants. It's a misleading term, because it suggest that humans (and other animals, one would assume) can't get enough essential amino acids to make protein from plants.
Fortunately, the theory that plant proteins are somehow "incomplete" and therefore inadequate has been disproven. All unrefined foods have varying amounts of protein with varying amino acid profiles, including leafy green vegetables, tubers, grains, legumes, and nuts. All the essential and nonessential amino acids are present in any single one of these foods in amounts that meet or exceed your needs, even if you are an endurance athlete or body builder.
Whenever you eat, your body stores amino acids, and then withdraws them when it needs them to make protein. It is not necessary to eat any particular food or any particular combination of foods together at one sitting, to make complete protein. Your body puts together amino acids from food to make protein throughout the day.
Is vitamin A water-soluble or fat-soluble?
No, it is not.
No, vitamin D is one of the oil-soluble vitamins, and it is not water soluble.
The two forms [of several others having or potentially having vitamin D activity] that are normally found in mammals are vitamin D2 - ergocalciferol - and vitamin D3 - cholecalciferol.
These compounds may be regarded as steroids in which the B ring has been ruptured.
Steroids are formed from Cholesterols that are most definitely H2O non-soluble.
Genes consist of segments of DNA that code for specific proteins. These segments are made up of combinations of four nucleotide bases: adenine (A), thymine (T), cytosine (C), and guanine (G). Genes are the basic unit of heredity and contain the instructions for building and regulating an organism's cells and tissues.
Why fatty acid in cis configuration?
In nature, fatty acid double bonds (i.e., unsaturations) almost always have the cis configuration. This kind of molecular architecture puts a rigid 30º bend in the hydrocarbon chain of unsaturated fatty acids that interferes with their efficient packing to fill space. The consequence of this configuration is a reduction of van der Waals interactions causing fatty acids melting points to decrease with their degree of unsaturation. With this configuration, lipid fluidity likewise increases with the degree of unsaturation of their component fatty acid residues. This property of fatty acids has primary importance in membrane fluidity and in ion and molecule trafficking through it.
A sentence for chemosynthesis?
Chemosynthesis is a process in which certain organisms produce energy from chemical reactions rather than sunlight, often occurring in environments such as hydrothermal vents in the deep sea.
