MCAT Biology Flashcards

These are a comprehensive set of flashcards that cover a wide spectrum of mcat biology topics.

280 cards   |   Total Attempts: 182
  

Cards In This Set

Front Back
Six Groups of Lipids
1- Fatty acids
2- Triacylglycerols
3- Phospholipids
4- Glycolipids
5- Steroids
6- Terpenes
Major Functions of Lipids
-Phospholipids- structural component of membrane
-Triacylglycerols- store metabolic energy, provide thermal insulation
-Steroids- regulate metabolic activity
-Some fatty acids can serve as local hormones (ie: eiconsanoids)
How do each of the following denaturing agents work?
1- urea
2- salt/pH changes
3- mercaptoethanol
4- organic solvents
5- heat
1- urea: disrupts hydrogen bonds
2- salt/pH changes: disrupts electrostatic bonds
3- mercaptoethanol: disrupts disulfide bonds
4- organic solvents: disrupts hydrophobic forces
5- heat: disrupt all forces
The 3 components of a nucleotide
1- Phosphate group
2- 5-carbon sugar (ribose)
3- Nitrogenous base (A, T, C, G, U)
Types of Enzyme Regulation
-Proteolytic cleavage
-Reversible covalent modification (ie: phosphorylation)
-Control proteins (ie: G proteins)
-Allosteric interactions (ie: cooperativity)
-Negative feedback
-Positive feedback
Net products of glycolysis per glucose
2 pyruvates, 2 NADH, 2 ATP
Net products of pyruvate oxidation in mitochondria matrix, per pyruvate
1 NADH, 1 CO2, 1 acetyl CoA
Net products of Krebs cycle in mitochondria matrix, per 1 turn
3 NADH, 2 CO2, 1 FADH2, 1 ATP
Where are amino acids deaminated?
In the liver. Once the NH3 is gone, the rest of the amino acid is converted to pyruvic acid or acetyl CoA before entering the Krebs cycle
Isoelectric point
The pH at which an amino acid carries no net electric chrage
Peptide bond
An amide bond between the amino group of one amino acid and the carbonyl group of another. This bond has a partial double bond character that causes the protein backbone to be rigid and planar.
Allosteric enzymes
Enzymes that have a regulatory/allosteric site in addition to a catalytic/active site
How does Km relate to enzyme-substrate affinity?
Low Km means high affinity since the enyzmes needs a lesser concentration of substrate for binding. Km does not depend on the enzyme concentration, while Vmax does.
Where does fatty acid oxidation take place?
In the mitochondria. For a n-C fatty acid, oxidation will produce n/2 acetyl-CoA's.
Do bacteria have cholesterol in their plasma membranes?
No, only eukaryotic cells do. Bacteria have a cell wall to preserve osmolarity.