Discusion of coure/Wikis, final evaluation and Virtual Wiki Symposium

Originally, biochemistry was a course I feared and dreaded to take. However, after the completion of this course it ended up being my favorite chemistry based course so far. I found I was able to connect all my previous knowledge of other science courses and tie them together with biochemistry. The power points were extremely helpful in organizing my thoughts and visualizing processes. The exams, I felt, were extremely fair and thought the structure was ideal. I enjoyed doing the wiki, it interesting applying ideas learned in biochem to research done in the field. The symposium was a little confusing for me but that could be due to the fact I am technologically challenged considering I found the online lab portfolio also some what confusing. The quizzes made me keep up with reading and the projects allowed me to apply my knowledge. All in all I thought this was a great course.

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

In reflecting back on the course there are three major themes that I would identify that connect the various topics discussed in this course which include biomolecules, DNA processes and metabolic reactions. Each of these three themes connect topics discussed in this course and my previous knowledge.

Biomolecules are organic molecules produced by living cells. They consist primarily of hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen and oxygen. Carbohydrates, proteins, lipids and nucleic acids are all examples of biomolecules. Carbohydrates are the key biomolecule essential to the body for energy production and metabolism. Proteins are composed of amino acids, proteins as enzymes catalyze reactions like metabolism in organisms. Lipids and proteins together make up membranes of cells. Nucleic acid happens to be the biomolecule that makes up DNA. Most of these concepts I have previously acquired knowledge about however, biochemistry has allowed me to tie them together.

Eukaryotic and prokaryotic DNA processes are a main theme in biochemistry which include subcategories such as DNA replication, transcription and translation. In genetics I had previously learned that DNA replication is the basis for biological inheritance and essential for all living organism to copy their DNA. Transcription is the process of RNA synthesis, where an RNA copy is made from a sequence of DNA. Translation is the process in which the mRNA, produced in transcription, is decoded to form polypeptides which will eventually fold to become an active proteins.

Metabolic reaction are continuously occurring in living organisms and need biomolecules such as carbohydrates to proceed. In biology I had gained knowledge on related topics such as glycolysis and the citric acid cycle which involve the metabolism of glucose and production of ATP. Storage mechanisms and Lipid metabolism are also important in metabolic reactions.

How would you expain the connection between glucose entering the body and energy created by the body to a friend

Have you ever felt sluggish or fatigued in the late afternoon because you hadn't had a chance to eat lunch? Food gives you energy. When food is eaten it is broken down into simpler forms for the body to metabolize. Carbohydrates are broken down into simple sugars or glucose, in return raising your blood glucose levels which crash when you skip meals leaving you feeling fatigued. This process which glucose undergoes to produce energy is called glycolysis.

Glycolysis is made up of 10 step reactions in which glucose is converted to pyruvate through reactions such as phosporalations, isomerization, oxidation and dehydration to yield 2 ATP. By converting glucose to pyruvate the body can now participate in further processes. These processes result in the yield of 32 molecules of ATP for every one molecule of glucose. That is a lot of energy! However, the body needs that energy to undergo all of its functional processes while giving you the energy to perform your daily tasks.

What knowledge have you connected with past knowledge?

Over the course of this class I have connected past nutrition knowledge with the knowledge I have obtained in biochemistry. Nutrition involves the study of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients the body needs to function properly. This includes the recommended amounts one should consume in their diet. The result of malnutrition or lack of these essential nutrients can result in things such as fatigue, anemia, free radicals, cancers, and disease to name a few. Nutrition teaches the importance of each nutrient and its effect on the body however, biochemistry explains, on a cellular level, how these nutrients physiologicaly perform in the body.
Carbohydrates for example, happens to be an energy source for the body. When carbohydrates are consumed, insulin is secreted by beta cells in the pancrease which allow cells to absorb glucose and use it as energy. When glucose levels are low alpha cells in the pancrease secrete glucagon to be used as energy. In reaction to this energy breakdown enzymes are generated. These reactions like other I have learned in biochemistry connect my past knowledge obtained in nutrition with current corresponding knowledge.

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

The website http://Themedicalbiochemistrypage.org provides detailed information in regards to biological and chemical functions of the human body including topics such as metabolism, vitamins and minerals. Each of theses categories is followed by subcategories, which includes effects of deficiency and or disease pertaining to a biochemical function or in other cases more detailed references. For example, Amino Acid Metabolism has several subcategories which include an introduction to amino acid metabolism, essential versus non-essential amino acids, and inborn errors in amino acids. By selecting one of these three, will bring you to a list and of various amino acids. Each amino acid listed includes its structure and detailed function. Other main biochemistry categories include protein synthesis, enzyme kinetic, hemoglobin, myoglobin, etc. This website has proved to be extremely informative, as a dictionary or encyclopedia for biochemistry terms, functions and reactions. It is extremely organized, allowing for a quick and efficient search.













































http://themedicalbiochemistrypage.org/

What Knowledge have you connected with past knowledge?

The past knowledge I have obtained from general chemistry, biology and nutrition have all provided a connection to biochemistry. Chemistry is the science of matter which deals with the composition of substances. Chemistry looks at individual elements and molecular reactions in respect to their properties. Biochemistry looks at the bigger picture, in relation to the molecular reactions occurring, or the chemistry, and its effects on the biological make up of organisms.

Biology is the study of living organisms, along with their structure, function, origin and evolution. Organisms are broken up into different domains. The main focuses of biochemistry revolves around such living organisms, prokaryote's and eukaryote's. These two domains differ in comparison of organelles, which provide certain function to the cell. All cells contain DNA. The DNA that makes up a cell is referred to as the genome composed of genes.

Nutrition is the process by which an organism assimilates food and uses it for growth. In nutrition it was learned that the body needs an approximate amount of various nutrients to function properly. Vitamins are the key to regulation in a living organism. A lack of, can result in metabolic dysfunction and off set equilibrium. Biochemistry has connected the nutritional education of dietary need, which was learned in nutrition, and the chemical function they play within the body's cells. For example, the calcium potassium pump in relation to muscle contraction and relaxation. All in all, my past knowledge in many different areas of science correlate and connect with my new and present knowledge in biochemistry.

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

Calsequestrin, locus 1SJI, is a calcium storage protein for both cardiac and skeletal muscle tissue. It is responsible for binding and releasing calcium (2+) ions. These ions make it possible for the contraction and relaxation cycle to process effectively. This protein undergoes coupled calcium binding and protein polymerization. It is related to the taxonomy, Canis Lupus Familiaris or dogs.



It is shown that two structures of skeletal and cardiac Calsequestrin are superimposable due to their subunits and front to front dimers. In other words they are overlapping one another. Thus, in comparing cardiac and skeletal muscle absorbtion shows, 80 Ca(2+) per skeletal Calsequestrin and 60 (2+) per cardiac Calsequestrin. This proposes a negative 80 and 69 net charge resulting in the C-27 terminal of the amino acid within cardiac muscle Calsequestrin to become deleted. This results in a 50% Ca (2+) binding reduction and a loss of a Ca(2+) tetramer formation. The tetramer formation is essential for biological activity and function. The Loss of tetramer formation can be linked to the loss of inefectivity of the protien and lack of phage inactivity.




http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Structure/mmdb/mmdbsrv.cgi?uid=1SJI

www.springerlink.com/index/T73Q0X5V85HJ820Q.pdf