ACS Biochemistry Exam Questions and
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ACS BIOCHEM
8/29/24
,ACS Biochemistry Exam
Metabolism (catabolism and anabolism) - Metabolism: sum of total chemical reactions in
an organism, also the method by which cells extract and use energy from their
environment.
Catabolism: The process by which stored nutrients and ingested foods are converted to
a usable form of energy. It produces simple products CO2, H2O, NH3, and building
blocks such as sugars and fats that are used in anabolism.
Anabolism: the process by which simple products and building blocks of catabolism are
used to create complex biological products that contribute to organismal growth and
development. It also uses the energy produced in catabolism to do biological work.
Properties of cells - Metabolism: undergoing catabolic and anabolic processes.
Reproduction: cell populations grow via asexual reproduction.
Mutation: during growth and reproduction, cells sometimes make mistakes, leading to
mutations and evolution.
Respond to environment: metabolic pathways respond to signals, including light, touch,
hormones, and nutrients, that can turn the pathways on or off.
Speed and efficiency: cell operations are highly specific to maximize targeting and
efficiency.
Similar building blocks: most species are very similar at the cellular level.
What accounts for water's unique properties? - Hydrogen bonding
ACS Biochemistry Exam
,ACS Biochemistry Exam
The unique properties of water (specific heat, heat of vaporization, solubility) - 1) high
specific heat, or heat required to raise the temperature of the unit mass of a given
substance by one degree.
For water to increase in temperature, water molecules must be made to move faster, or
get higher KE, and doing this requires breaking hydrogen bonds, which absorbs heat.
So, as heat is applied, most of it goes to breaking the bonds not upregulating KE, thus
making water harder to heat than substances where no bonds need to be broken.
2) High heat of vaporization, or the amount of heat needed to turn one g of a liquid into
vapor, without a temperature rise in the liquid. Important for sweat because it ensures
that when the liquid evaporates from our skin, the heat required for the transition is kept
in the gas, causing a net cooling effect on the skin.
3) Unique solubility properties: "like dissolves like". Water dissolves polar molecules and
ions, and can act as an H-bond donor or receptor
4) Amphoteric, it can act as an acid (donating electrons) or a base (accepting
electrons). The conjugate acid of water is the hydronium ion, H3O+, and the conjugate
base of water is the hydroxide ion, OH-.
Keq for water at 25 degrees C and in pure water - At 25 degrees C:
Keq= Kw= [OH-][H3O+]= 1*10^-14
In pure water:
[OH-]=[H3O+]= 1*10^-7
Calculation for pH and pKa - pH= -log[H3O+]
pKa= -log(Ka)
Normal blood pH range - 7.35-7.45
ACS Biochemistry Exam
, ACS Biochemistry Exam
The Hydrophobic Effect - When non-polar molecules aggregate in the presence of
water, minimizing the entropy decrease water must go through to order themselves
around the border of the non-polar molecule. Reducing the surface area water must
organize around increases entropy, which is favorable.
The aggregation is responsible for the formation of a variety of lipid structures in the
body, including cell membranes.
Buffers - Composed of a weak acid (HA) and its conjugate base (A-). Added acid reacts
with A-, and added base reacts with HA, giving a limited overall pH change.
Two main reactions:
1) When excess base is added:
OH-+HA-->H2O+A-
2) When excess acid is added:
H+ + A- -->HA
**So, the net result is more of the weak acid and its conjugate base**
When are buffers optimal? What equation can we use for this? - When [HA]= [A-],
occurring when pH=pKa
Henderson- Hasselbalch allows use to calculate pH at given pKa, and vice versa:
Blood Buffering - Components:
1) carbonic acid (H2CO3) (weak acid). pKa= 6.1.
2) Bicarbonate Ion (HCO3-), conjugate base of carbonic acid
3) H+ (hydrogen ion)
If OH- (base) is added, Carbonic acid buffers it into bicarbonate ion and water.
ACS Biochemistry Exam
