BCH2333 — Introduction to Biochemistry (Lecture 1) Flashcards

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Miller–Urey experiment

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A classic laboratory simulation showing that electrical discharges in a reducing gas mixture can produce simple organic molecules, supporting hypotheses about abiotic synthesis of life's building blocks.

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Abiogenesis

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The hypothesis that life originated from nonliving chemical systems through natural processes, implying a gradual increase in molecular complexity leading to self-replicating systems.

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Oparin–Haldane hypothesis

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A proposal that early Earth’s chemically reducing atmosphere allowed accumulation of organic molecules in a primordial "soup," leading to increasing complexity and eventual formation of life.

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Reducing atmosphere

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An atmospheric condition rich in electron-donating gases (e.g., $CH_4$, $NH_3$, $H_2$) that facilitates the formation of reduced organic compounds from inorganic precursors.

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Functional group

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A specific grouping of atoms within a molecule that has characteristic chemical behaviors (e.g., hydroxyl, carbonyl, amino), determining reactivity and interactions.

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Peptide bond

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A covalent linkage formed between the carboxyl group of one amino acid and the amino group of another, creating the backbone of proteins.

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Glycosidic bond

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The covalent bond that links monosaccharides to form disaccharides and polysaccharides, formed by a condensation reaction between hydroxyl groups.

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Phosphodiester bond

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The covalent linkage connecting nucleotide units in nucleic acids, formed between the phosphate of one nucleotide and the sugar hydroxyl of another.

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Monomer

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A small, repeating molecular unit that can be chemically bonded to other units to form oligomers and polymers, such as amino acids or nucleotides.

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Polymer

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A large molecule composed of repeating monomer units linked by covalent bonds, such as proteins, polysaccharides, and nucleic acids.

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Oligomer

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A molecule consisting of a few monomer units (more than a dimer but fewer than a polymer), often with properties intermediate between monomers and polymers.

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Supramolecular structure

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An assembly of molecules held together by noncovalent interactions (e.g., lipid bilayers, protein complexes) that creates higher-order functional organization.

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Complementarity

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Specific pairing or matching between molecular structures (e.g., base pairing in nucleic acids) that enables accurate information transfer and selective interactions.

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Self-assembly

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The spontaneous organization of molecules into ordered structures driven by noncovalent interactions, such as membrane formation by amphipathic lipids.

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Compartmentation

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The separation of biochemical processes into defined spaces (e.g., organelles, vesicles, membranes) to enable specialized chemical environments and regulation.

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Prokaryote

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A cell type lacking a membrane-bound nucleus and typically with simpler internal organization; includes bacteria and archaea.

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Eukaryote

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A cell type with membrane-bound organelles, including a nucleus, allowing compartmentalized metabolic processes and greater structural complexity.

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pH

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A measure of hydrogen ion concentration that influences the ionization states of functional groups, thereby affecting molecular structure, reactivity, and enzyme activity.