1.1 Basic Biology Review

Amino Acids & Proteins

AA structure

  • Central carbon surrounded by an amino group (H2N), a Carboxylic acid group (O=C-OH), an H, and a unique side chain

  • r -group

  • Methyl groups

AA Types

  • Humans use about 20 AAs

  • Essential, conditionally essential, Nonessential

Steps of Protein synthesis

  • Transcription - genes are copied into mRNA

    • mRNA built by RNA polymerase

    • mRNA leaves nucleus and goes to ribosome

  • Translation - mRNA turned into a protein

    • each codon of three bases codes for a specific AA

    • tRNA caries an amino acid and matches the anti-codon of three bases with the mRNA

    • Peptide bonds - bind AAs together to form proteins

    • ribosome moves along the mRNA until a complete chain of AAs is formed

    • chain of AAs folds up to form protein

Cellular Respiration (Aerobic)

Glycolysis

  • glucose is converted into pyruvate

  • Net yield +2 ATP

  • pyruvate converted to acetyl CoA

Krebs Cycle / Citric acid

  • CO2 & +2ATP

  • Acetyl CoA broken down further into citric acid

  • Citric acid is oxidized and energy is used to bind ADP and phosphate to make ATP and electron carriers (NADH & FADH2)

Electron Transport Chain

  • electrons used to create proton gradient to pump protons across membrane

  • Chemiosmosis - ATP synthase enzyme creates ATP

  • +34 ATP

Other

  • Proteolysis - the process by which proteins are broken down by HCL, pepsin & other digestive enzymes

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