MOLECULAR BIOLOGY TOPIC 2

Molecules to metabolism 2.1 Living orgnisms control their composition by a complex web of reactions
Essential chemistry for biology - revision
Carbon covalent bonding

2.1

Organic compounds in life

2.1

Metabolism: anabolic & catabolic reactions

2.1

Water 2.2 Water is the medium of life

Water hydrogen bonding

2.2

Water properties

2.2

Water properties and biological benefits

2.2

Thermal expansion of water (ref. Global warming 5.2) (1.5)

Water properties and biological benefits research

Carbohydrates 2.3 Compound of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen are used to supply and store energy
Monomers, (dimers) & polymers
Mono/di/poly-sacharrides

2.3

Condensation & hydrolysis reactions

2.3

The glycosidic bond

Molecular drawings

Glucose & sugars, glycogen, starch & cellulose

2.3

Use of molecular visualisation software

Fatty acids & glycerol, triglycerides

2.3

Molecular drawings

Saturated, (poly)unsaturated FA's and health

2.3

Measuring BMI (1.5)

2.4

Amino Acid Chromatography (2)

Macromolecules

Proteins 2.4 Proteins have a wide range of functions in living organisms

Amino acids - the monomers
Universal genetic code

2.4 (2.7)

Uniqueness of an individual's proteins

The peptide bond
(Primary structure) Amino acid sequence

2.4

Molecular drawings

2.4/7.3

Protein structure v function

2.4

Denaturing proteins

2.4

Use of molecular visualisation software

Denaturation of Proteins by Heat and CuSo4 (1.5)

Primary protein structure

7.3

Secondary protein structure

7.3

Tertiary protein structure

7.3

Quaternary protein structure (incl. Prosthetic groups)

7.3

Organic macro-molecules

Food tests for identifying Organic Biochemicals (1.5)

Enzymes 2.5 Enzymes control the metabolism of the cell

Active sites and enzyme catalysed reactions

2.5

Denaturing

2.5

pH, temperature & substrate conc.

2.5

[3] (Design & Planning) Enzyme Investigations (2)

Industrial enzyme use

2.5

Research lactose-free milk production (& patent review)

Enzymes and activation energy

8.1

Graphing activation energy models

Enzyme inhibition

8.1

Graphing inhibition with substrate conc.

(Metabolic pathways and end-product inhibition

8.1

Structure of DNA and RNA 2.6 The structure of DNA allows efficient storage of genetic information
DNA Structure (and replication) 7.1 The structure of DNA is ideally suited to its function
Nucleotides

2.6

Crick & Watson - modelling

2.6

Hersey and Chase - DNA for genetic purposes

7.1
2-D DNA modelling on paper

Base pairing, hydrogen bonding, anti-parallel

2.6
3-D DNA modelling (1.5)

Nucleosome structure and super coiling

7.1

Molecular visualisation of protein/DNA associations

DNA v RNA
DNA replication 2.7 Genetic information in DNA can be accurately copied
(Cell cycle)

1.6

Semi-conservative replication

2.7

Complimentaary base pairing

2.7

Actions of helicase and DNA polymerase

2.7

DNA (Structure and) replication 7.1 The structure of DNA is ideally suited to its function
3' to 5', replication enzymes, (dis)continuous

7.1

Non-coding DNA

7.1

PROTEIN SYNTHESIS Genetic information in the nucleus can be translated to make the proteins needed by the cell
Transcription, RNA polymerase & mRNA

2.7

PBL: Can you hold the Central Dogma of molecular biology in your hands?

The genetic (triplet) code of mRNA, codons

PBL: Can you hold the Central Dogma of molecular biology in your hands?

2.7

Transcription and gene expression 7.2 Information stored as a code on DNA is copied onto mRNA
Gene expression

7.2

Transcription 5' to 3'

7.2

Modification and splicing of mRNA

7.2

Translation - mRNA, tRNA & amino acids, ribosomes and polypeptides

2.7

Complementary base pairing - DNA, mRNA, tRNA, Amino Acids

2.7

Translation 7.3 Information transferred from DNA to mRNA is translated into an amino acid sequence
Initiation, synthesis and termination

7.3

Prokaryotes v eukaryotes

7.3

Free and bound ribosomes

7.3

mRNA, tRNA, enzymes and amino acids

7.3

Molecular visualisation software - tRNA & ribosomes

Polysomes

7.3

Visualising polysomes from micrographs

METABOLISM, CELL RESPIRATION AND PHOTOSYNTHESIS TOPIC 8

Metabolism 8.1 Metabolic reactions are regulated in response to the cells needs
Metabolic pathways (incl end product inhibition

8.1

NoS: Theories project to properties

IM: Water scarcity. Quito?

NoS, IM: lipids and health - assessment & links

NoS: Universality of amino acids; exceptions

Why universal?
Uniqueness v universality

Qualitative v quantitive data

NoS: Accurate, quantitative measurements & replicates

Use of inhibitors in medicine

NoS: Modelling as a way to gain knowledge

the DNA model - collaboration and competition

Rosalind Franklin, x-ray diffraction & double helix

NoS: How evidence is collected, to then propose a theory

ToK 'Junk' DNA

The Central Dogma of molecular biology

ToK: The story of

Universality of genetic code - allows genetic modification

NoS Digital advances in bioinformatics