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Vocab
Activation Energy The energy barrier that blocks the tendency for a chemical reaction
to occur.
Active site The region on the surface of an enzyme or ribozyme where the substrate
binds, and where catalysis occurs.
Adenine (A) A nitrogen-containing base found in nucleic acids, ATP, NAD, and other
compounds.
Allosteric regulation Regulation of the activity of a protein (usually an enzyme) by the
binding of an effector molecule to a site other than the active site.
A (alpha) Helix A prevalent type of secondary protein structure; a right-handed spiral.
Amino acids An organic compound containing both NH2 and COOH groups. Proteins
are polymers of amino acids.
B (beta) pleated sheet A type of protein secondary structure; results from hydrogen
bonding between polypeptide regions running antiparallel to each other.
Base In nucleic acids, the purine or pyrimidine that is attached to each sugar in the suga
phosphate backbone.
Catalysts A chemical substance that accelerates a reaction without itself being
consumed in the overall course of the reaction. Catalysts lower the activation energy of a
reaction. Enzymes are biological catalysts.
Competitive inhibitor A nonsubstrate that binds to the active site of an enzyme and
thereby inhibits binding of its substrate.
Complementary base pairing The AT (or AU), TA (or UA), CG, and GC pairing of
bases in double-stranded DNA, in transcription, and between tRNA and mRNA.
Cytosine (C) A nitrogen-containing base found in DNA and RNA.
Denatured Loss of activity of an enzyme or nucleic acid molecule as a result of
structural changes induced by heat or other means.
Deoxyribose see DNA
Disulfide Bridge The covalent bond between two sulfur atoms S) linking two
molecules or remote parts of the same molecule.
DNA The fundamental hereditary material of all living organisms. In eukaryotes, stored
primarily in the cell nucleus. A nucleic acid using deoxyribose rather than ribose.
Enzyme-substrate complex (ES) An intermediate in an enzyme-catalyzed reaction;
consists of the enzyme bound to its substrate(s).
Genes A unit of heredity. Used here as the unit of genetic function which carries the
information for a polypeptide or RNA.
Questions
1.
Insulin is a hormone synthesized in islet cells of the pancreas that promotes the
conversion of glucose into the storage material, glycogen. Insulin is the most important
hormone involved in glucose metabolism. It inhibits glucose production by inhibiting
gluconeogenesis and glycogenolysis, and causes a decrease in blood glucose.
4. The picture in the packet show that the initial stable state must become less stable so the
energy required for the chemical reaction to occur (EA) can be reached. This is a exergonic
reaction where the products have lower free energy than the reactants, resulting in a release of
free energy.