Three Common Themes

                The basic functions of a cell are taught in general education science classes. Simple information on the nucleus, mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum, etc. are identified and their uncomplicated roles show what cell is known to do in an elementary sort of way. The cell’s conversion of energy and specific roles in the body is a common theme throughout all the chapters. ADP and ATP are vital within an organism’s body in order to work and do work.

                Amino acids are building blocks that repeatedly come up in science classes and can connect with majority of the topics discussed in the duration of this course. Proteins as enzymes can catalyze reactions and are critical to a cell’s function. Amino acids are also what are synthesized via DNA translation. These building blocks are far from simple and are involved in majority of life processes.

                Chemical structure is important to understand, because it repeats itself throughout the course. The way a polypeptide chain connects depends on the structure of the different compounds and carbon placement. Sometimes a simple reconversion of the molecule will completely change the function of it.

A Simple Explanation of Glucose Breakdown

            Everybody loves sugar, but the best part is that our body actually needs it for energy! Glucose is a monosaccharide, otherwise known as a sugar. The formula for glucose is C₆H₁₂O₆. It contains high energy carbon bonds. When a cell needs energy it breaks down the glucose via glycolysis and cellular respiration and then energy in the carbon bonds eventually gets transferred the to ADP allowing it to form ATP.

In glycolysis energy is transferred from bonds in the glucose molecule to phosphate bonds in ATP and GTP, and hydrogen bonds in NADH and FADH. Your body then uses the ATP produced to power cellular processes. It’s all a matter of energy transfer.

More Past Knowledge Connections

                The understanding of chemical structure and function is adamant into the study of biochemistry. Labeling carbons to identify where covalent bonds are going to attach, or where carbon chains are going to get cleaved would not be easy if one did not take organic chemistry prior to biochemistry. In nutrition classes one is taught about the way the body responds carbohydrates, fats and sugars and which is bad/good to consume in large quantities. Biochemistry takes this much further and shows the chemical dynamics of each. The step by step reactions and what results in usable energy for the body is examined and thoroughly explained in the glycolysis chapter. Thermodynamics and the equation of the difference in enthalpy and entropy are exhibited and that had been connected to the past knowledge of organic chemistry.

                It is interesting to have genetics at the same time as this class, because DNA replication and the processes of transcription/translation were taught simultaneously. Genetics looked further into the possible mutations that can occur on nucleotides, and biochemistry looks more into the hydrogen bonds between the anti-parallel double helix and the octamers.