Reflecting back on the course, what are the three major themes you would identify that connect the various topics discussed in this course?

The three major themes I would identify are what regulated the human body, how does it function and what is the advantage from it. In the biochemistry course, you will likely learn more details about it. I may be familar with some of the topics from this course due to the past learning experience, but I didn't go into dept about it.

Through the biochemistry course, we are able to learn about the human body proteins, enzymes, and lipid, which enable the body to function properly through several mechanisms. These mechanisms are repeated over and over again in our body everyday without our knowledge. And it is a benefit to us because these materials and mechanisms, which allow us to live.

How would you explain the connection between glucose entering the body and energy created by the body to a friend, using your biochemistry knowledge?

As glucose entered your body, it would have to undergo series of mechanism before it can generate energy. These mechanisms included the glycolytic pathway, the citric acid cycle, and the electron transport chain. Glucose is converted to pyruvate, which can be metabolized through one of the three processes, such as aerobic mechanism which produced ATP, anaerobic glycolysis (produced lactate), and anaerobic alcoholic fermentation (produced ethanol).

ATP is the energy source, which distributed throughout your body. Therefore it allow your body to move. Your body always requires energy whereever you go or whatever you are doing.

What knowledge have you connected with past knowledge?

I learned that when you tried to persue certain goal, it is sometimes not as easy as you think. In the beginning you might know what you wanted and you would strive for it, but as times passed by, you may feel a little lost and confuse.

There are sometimes when you're not very consistent on what you're doing, which can lead you to nowhere. There are many unexpected things that may occur, which will make it even harder for you to reach your goal. This is how I felt like. So I believe that it's only depend on whether you're capable of overcoming these obstacles or not.

Find an interesting biochemistry website and put its link in this entry and describe briefly what is found there.

http://www.brookscole.com/chemistry_d/templates/student_resources/shared_resources/animations/protein_synthesis/protein_synthesis.html
This is a link to the animation of the protein synthesis. It is basically explaining the production of the protein with some pictures to accompany it and towards the end there’ll be review. This can be helpful for those who want to understand how the protein is processes.

Here’s a brief introduction: Protein synthesis is also called translation. It is occurring in the ribosome located in the mitochondria and chloroplast. In the Eukaryotic cell, the ribosome is usually attaches to the endoplasmic reticulum. While in the prokaryotic cell, there’s no endoplasmic reticulum, thus it’s capable to move around more easily. The proteins synthesize in three different processes. The first stage is called initiation; follow by elongation and lastly termination. Initiation is the production of ribosomal complex. Elongation is the process of amino acid forming polypeptide chain. Termination occurs when the protein left ribosome.

What knowledge have you connected with past knowledge?

From the past to present, I am learning each day. All the topics covered in class, I was familiar with before. I learned that proteins are composed of four structural components. These structures included Primary structure consisted of basic order sequences of amino acid, secondary structure composed of amino acid arranged in beta sheet and alpha helix, tertiary was the folding of the structure in 3D shape and quaternary consisted of subunits, which were dimmers, trimers and tetramers. Alpha helix had a hydrogen bond that made it stable and the side chains were found on the outer parts of the helix. If the helix got larger it couldn’t arrange in shape due to the bulky side groups. Beta pleaded sheet consisted of intrachain and interchain. Alpha helix and beta sheet could merge to create a supersecondary structure (motif). Myoglobin was an example of tertiary structure and hemoglobin was an example of quarternary structure.

I also learned that most enzymes were considered protein but only some proteins were considered enzymes. Enzymes were highly specific which catalyzed only on certain enzymes. When enzymes were being catalyzed, their activation energy would lower and their rate of reaction would increase. Their transition state was much more stable than the uncatalyzed enzymes. The rate of a chemical reaction of the enzymes would increase if the temperature increased. Enzymes would denature if the rate of the biochemical reaction along with the temperature reached their limit.

Find a protein using PDB explorer-decribe your protein, including what disease state or other real-world application it has.

The YIxR protein was part of the streptococcus pneumonia and its purpose was not yet known. It derived from a small group of protein called alpha-beta plait super family that had motif GRGA. Their protein was not the same as other protein; moreover, their structure was similar to a double layer alpha/beta sandwich. The protein structure was identified through semi-automated. It had a positive charge side with three sulfate ion attached, which located in the nucleic acid binding proteins. The protein later was verified as the RNA-binding protein.

Streptococcus pneumonia was commonly discovered in the nasopharynx. It was a bacterium often known as “carriage.” Younger children were prone to the infection. If this organism reached other body parts, it would most likely cause ear infection, sinus infection, and lung infection. If it traveled into the bloodstream it could cause meningitis. This type of disease was known to be invasive, which could lead to dead. This organism was most often found in bacterial meningitis, bacteremia, otitis media and community-acquired pneumonia.


source:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Structure/mmdb/mmdbsrv.cgi?uid=17085




http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/aip/research/spn.html

What is biochemistry, and how does it differ from the fields of genetics, biology, chemistry, and molecular biology?

Biochemistry is the study of the molecular development that occurs in living beings. It involves substances such as carbohydrates, protein, enzymes, RNA and DNA. It describes the breakdown process of sugar, water, protein and fats in order for the organisms to consume energy such as ATP. This method is called oxidative phosphorylation. It also elaborates in more detail on the enzyme structures and how they function, the interaction among DNA and protein. It explains the process of photosynthesis and nitrogen fixation. Overall, it gives us a better understanding of life.

Biochemistry is different from genetics, biology, chemistry, and molecular biology because it includes much broader categories. However Biology, chemistry, and molecular biology are more focus on their area. For example, Genetics is more associated with gene and mutation, Biology deals with living organisms (structures, functions etc.), chemistry involves in chemical reaction(atom, compound, oxidation reaction etc.), molecular biology explains the interaction of genetic substance( RNA, transcription etc.). Nevertheless biochemistry is a combination of the pieces from each of these subjects that lead us to comprehend more in dept of how life process.
Source:
http://www.answers.com/topic/biochemistry