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

We have gone over a lot in this course, but there are a few major categories that most of the material can be separated into. I would say the three major themes of this course were:

-DNA
-Enzymes
-ATP yielding processes

DNA was a big part of the material we covered. We discussed what it is, what it is made of, how it is made, how it replicates. We also discussed how DNA is transcribed into RNA, we went over where and how this process works. We then went over how RNA is translated into amino acids and eventually proteins. To me, this is a huge topic that was definitely a main theme of this course.

ATP yielding processes took up a lot of time to go over. We discussed glycolysis, citric acid cycle, pentose phosphate pathway, and oxidative phosphorylation. This was a very important part of the course because it showed us how dynamic our body is at producing energy, and it really gave us the big picture about why we need certain molecules.

Enzymes also were a big part of the material. We went over the different types of enzymes and how they work, what reactions the catalyze and how important they are for normal function in our cells. Enzymes are really the unifying theme of this course. Enzymes are involved in most everything we discussed from DNA synthesis, to translation, to glycolysis.

Overall, as stated before, these three themes really widened my view and gave me the big picture. They helped me understand things that had simply been memorization in other courses. Now instead of just knowing that something is happening, I understand why something is happening.

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

I would start off by pointing out that glucose is the main source of energy for our bodies. Glucose is generally obtained through the consumption of carbohydrates. Glucose is stored in our body as glycogen. We then break down this glucose through a series of interrelated processes and cycles. First, we can break a glucose molecule down into two molecules of pyruvate through a series of reactions known as glycolysis. Glycolysis does not require oxygen in order to take place, and along with making two pyruvates, it also produces two ATP molecules (ATP is one of the main energies that our body uses). Then, if oxygen is present, the two pyruvate molecules are oxidized into two Acetyl-CoA molecules. The Acetyl CoA molecules then enter the citric acid cycle where they will eventually go on to produce between 28 and 32 molecules of ATP each. However, if oxygen is not present, then pyruvate cannot be converted into anything, and only two molecules of ATP are made.

What Knowledge Have You Connected With Past Knowledge?

As I stated in an earlier post, this course in Biochemistry has really tied a few of my past courses together. It makes sense of biology and chemistry and ties them together. It sheds some light on why exactly we have to learn what we learn in bio and chem, how that info applies. But one of the most interesting things about this class is the presentations on random topics from the text book. These presentations dont just connect with knowledge from other classes, but they connect with general knowledge that we already know from all areas of life. A couple of the most prominent examples I can think of are : "why twins are not identical", and "why we should eat more salmon". These presentations connect biochemistry with many other parts of our lives, and i feel that this is the most enjoyable and applicable connection that we have made so far.

Themedicalbiochemistrypage.org

themedicalbiochemistrypage.org is an incredibly helpful website. It lists all the major topics in biochemistry, and gives an in depth description of those topics. It discusses what that particular "thing" does, how it does it, why its important, among numerous other facts. It has an extensive list of topics to read, everything from Amino acids to DNA metabolism to Diabetes. This website has helped me understand concepts that i was unsure of on more than one occasion.

What knowledge have I connected with past knowledge?

Biochemistry is full of connections to past knowledge. Obviously before attempting to study this topic you have to have knowledge of biology and chemistry. This class takes generalizations from both bio and chem and expands upon them. It not only increases understanding but it ties things together. Particularly somethings that have stood out to me was proteins being used as catalysts, which i remember from both bio and chem, and michaelis menton kinetics, which I learned about in animal physiology. I think this class is important because in a way, it gives you the big picture of how the things that you've learned actually work and why.

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

For this entry I chose the p53 tumor suppressor. This is an incredibly interesting molecule and it is very vital to our survival. The p53 tumor suppressor is actually composed of four identical protein chains. This makes p53 flexible and, in turn, difficult to study. Therefore p53 is studied in parts. The flexible chains are often removed and the center is investigated. The function of p53 tumor suppressor, as it says in the name, is to reduce and halt uncontrolled cell growth. Normal cells have regulatory elements the control the growth and replication of the cell. If a cell is damaged, and these regulatory elements are altered or destroyed, then the cell can grow and divide at a rapid, uncontrolled pace. This will eventually cause a tumor. The job of p53 is to bind to regulatory sites in our genome and initiate production of the halt cell division until the damaged cell is repaired. However, some cells are too damaged to repair. In these cases p53 will induce apoptosis in those cells, causing them to die.

When it comes to diseases, p53 plays a big role in protecting us from cancer. Cancer is essentially uncontrolled growth and replication of cells, p53 can fight against that. Mutations in p53, that prevent it from doing its job correctly, account for about half of the cases of cancer found in humans.

What is biochemistry? How does it differ from the fields of genetics, biology, chemistry, and molecular biology?

Biochemistry is a very diverse field. It is very important for people to have an understanding of biochemistry if they want to be well versed in life sciences. Biochemistry takes what you know from other fields of science including: Genetics, Biology, Chemistry, and Molecular Biology and it ties them all together. Biochemistry is one of the only fields that can show the relationship all these fields have to each other. The main purpose of biochem is to show people the big picture. Biology and molecular biology aim to show how life works. The processes living creatures use to survive and evolve. Chemistry shows processes and reactions that are found in many living creatures. Chemistry deals with many things on a molecular level. Genetics aims to show how traits and features are carried through generations and why. Biochemistry is the perfect subject to not only widen understanding of all of the mentions areas, but to connect them all to each other.