I have come across an interactive web site created by Wiley that explains the major concepts covered in Biochemistry. It is based off the book Concepts in Biochemistry by Rodney Boyer. It offers interactive animations and tutorials in subjects such as protein folding, metabolism, DNA replication, etc. It offers games, such as amino acid identification, to help make learning more enjoyable to the visitor.
It also offers Concept Reviews that help refresh basic topics such as pH and buffers, redox reactions, thermodynamics, logarithms, and elementary kinetics. The information found here is important when trying to understand in depth biochemical concepts.
It offers Quizzes to test your knowledge and understanding. The test taker gets immediate feedback on weather their answers were correct or not. However these quizzes are based off the chapters in the book, Concepts in Biochemistry, and are not labeled by specific topic..
It highlights recent advances in the field of Biochemistry and explains how these advances solve real-world problems. Some examples include AIDS therapies and DNA fingerprinting. It gives students good answers to the question "Why is it important for me to know this?"
The site also provides web links for more information. Overall the site is very informative and makes learning Biochemistry fun and interesting.
To visit this website go to:
http://www.wiley.com/legacy/college/boyer/0470003790/animations/animations.htm
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Thursday, February 23, 2012
What knowledge have you connected with past knowlege?
I remember taking my first college science course, General Biology I and kept asking myself "Why do I need to know this?". As I continue to take more in depth science classes, I now know the answer to my own question. Each course goes beyond the basic knowledge I learned from my first college science class. Even though each course covers a different subject, important information has come together to help me understand the overall picture. Biochemistry continues to draw the overall picture. It has helped me to see how chemistry and biology and other science topics are connected.
Before this course I had learned about the different pHs, but never quite understood the importance of pH. I have learned that chemical processes that occur in the body are very sensitive to pH. If the environment is not at the right hydrogen concentration, than the process may not occur. Also relative to pH were pKa values, which I had never encountered until Organic Chemistry. I know understand that any acid will act as a buffer in the +1 to -1 range of its pKa value. This is important because a buffer resist change in pH, which allow chemical processes to occur. Until this course I never made the connection between pH, pKa, and buffers.
The importance of sterochemistry has become relevant. All amino acids that make up biologically active proteins are in the left handed form. This is important to understand for structure determines function. A slightest change in structure could effect a protein drastically. By understanding the differences in structure, it has help me to put together the pieces of how it will effect a process.
Through the beginning of the course til now I have been able to connect present knowledge with past knowledge to help me better understand the overall picture. Although I have already learned the information I need, it is coming together and I have a better understanding. During the remaining course I believe that i will be able to make more connections and a deeper understanding of the importance of Biochemsity.
Before this course I had learned about the different pHs, but never quite understood the importance of pH. I have learned that chemical processes that occur in the body are very sensitive to pH. If the environment is not at the right hydrogen concentration, than the process may not occur. Also relative to pH were pKa values, which I had never encountered until Organic Chemistry. I know understand that any acid will act as a buffer in the +1 to -1 range of its pKa value. This is important because a buffer resist change in pH, which allow chemical processes to occur. Until this course I never made the connection between pH, pKa, and buffers.
The importance of sterochemistry has become relevant. All amino acids that make up biologically active proteins are in the left handed form. This is important to understand for structure determines function. A slightest change in structure could effect a protein drastically. By understanding the differences in structure, it has help me to put together the pieces of how it will effect a process.
Through the beginning of the course til now I have been able to connect present knowledge with past knowledge to help me better understand the overall picture. Although I have already learned the information I need, it is coming together and I have a better understanding. During the remaining course I believe that i will be able to make more connections and a deeper understanding of the importance of Biochemsity.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
An Overview of the Protein Thrombin
The protein thrombin is found in the blood of humans. It is a serine protease like tyrpsin and chymotrypsin. A serine protease is a protein cutting enzyme that uses a serine amino acid to perform the cleavage. It has selective digestion, so that it does not digest other important proteins in the blood.
Thrombin plays an important role in blood clotting. When humans are wounded the body will build a temporary block to give the surrounding tissues a chance to repair the wound. When the skin is cut and blood flows to cells that do not normally come in contact with blood, it signals the body. These cells are called tissue factor. Tissure factor will then activate Factor VII and Factor X. These factors then activate thrombin, which translates the signal into action. Thrombin clips a little piece of the large protein fibrinogen. Fibrinogen assembles into large stringy networks that trap the blood cells forming a scab that blocks the wound.
Since blood clotting can pose potential risks such as heart attack and strokes, it is carefully regulated. It's built as an inactive precursor that has several extra domains that are clipped off when activated. The thrombin molecule consists of calcium ions that bind to modified glutamate amino acids causing a positive charge and tether to the surfaces of blood vessels. This prevents thrombin from spreading everywhere once activated. The activation of thrombin only last several seconds to limit the clot to the area of damage.
To find out more information on thrombin please visit http://www.pdb.org/pdb/101/motm.do?momID=25
Monday, February 6, 2012
What is Biochemistry?
According to Webster's 2002 dictionary biochemistry is the study of the chemistry of life processes in plants and animals. Biochemistry is a subsection under the wide subject of Science. Biology and chemistry are also subjects of science. Biology covers a wide spectrum of topics on living things including origin, history, and characteristics. Chemistry is all about reactions by which substances are produced or converted by. Biochemistry combines these two subjects and shows how they work hand in hand with one another. Overall biochemistry is the study of the complexity of life and the reactions that take place to allow organisms to live.
Biochemistry differs from the other science fields in a variety of ways. While there is some important biochemical features in Genetics, Genetics focuses on the difference in heredity and variability. It studies how traits are passed on from generation to generation, and the causes of mutations. Molecular biology overlaps all of these subjects (Biology,Chemistry, Genetics, and Biochemistry) and focuses on the interactions between various cell systems. It studies how cell systems complete their own tasks, but also contribute to other cell system's tasks with feedback loops. Therefore all the subjects of Science overlap one another, but each subject focuses on a different aspect of science.
Biochemistry differs from the other science fields in a variety of ways. While there is some important biochemical features in Genetics, Genetics focuses on the difference in heredity and variability. It studies how traits are passed on from generation to generation, and the causes of mutations. Molecular biology overlaps all of these subjects (Biology,Chemistry, Genetics, and Biochemistry) and focuses on the interactions between various cell systems. It studies how cell systems complete their own tasks, but also contribute to other cell system's tasks with feedback loops. Therefore all the subjects of Science overlap one another, but each subject focuses on a different aspect of science.
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