Biochemistry Study Notes by Learning Target:
1. Identify subatomic particles and describe how they are arranged in atoms:
Subatomic particle
Proton
Neutron
Electron
Charge
Positive
Neutral (O)
Negative
Location in Atom
Nucleus
Nucleus
Outside nucleus
Mass
large
Large
small
Atomic mass: # of protons + # of neutrons
Isotope: groups of atoms with the same number of protons (same element) but different numbers of
neutrons. Ex: Hydrogen atoms with 0,1, and 2 neutrons
2. Describe the difference between ions and atoms:
Atoms: smallest unit of matter, equal numbers of protons and electrons: no charge
Ion: Charged atoms, different numbers of protons and electrons.
3. Compare types of bonding between atoms to form molecules:
Ionic bonding: form between metal and non-metal, electrons are transferred
Covalent: form between a non-metal and a non-metal. Electrons are shared. Strongest bond type. Found
in Organic molecules
Carbon can form 4 bonds, making it the backbone of all living things.
4. Show how chemical reactions can be represented by chemical formulas:
Photosynthesis is the conversion of carbon dioxide, light, and water to glucose and oxygen.
-CO2 + light +H2O C6H12O6 + O2
Cellular Respiration is the conversion of glucose and oxygen to carbon dioxide, water, and ATP (energy)
-C6H12O6 + O2  CO2 + H2O + ATP
Fermentation is the conversion of glucose to ethanol and carbon dioxide
- C6H12O6  CO2 + ethanol
Chemical equations are balanced when they have the same number of each element on each side of the
equation.
Is this chemical equation balanced?
5. Explain the difference between organic and inorganic compounds:
Organic compounds all contain the element carbon.
The three most common elements in organic compounds are Carbon, Hydrogen, and Oxygen.
Organic molecules are very diverse because carbon can form many unique arrangements (branched,
linear, and ringed).
Organic molecules can be isomers, where molecules have the same chemical formula but different
chemical structures (ex: monosaccharides all have the formula C6H12O6 but different arrangements)
6. Explain the principles of the pH scale
pH scale is a 0-14 scale which compares the concentrations of hydrogen ions (H+) to hydroxide ions (OH-)
Acids have a higher concentration of hydrogen ions, bases have a higher concentration of (OH-)
0-6.9=acidic (more hydrogen ions than hydroxide)
7= neutral (equal hydrogen ions to hydroxide)
7.1-14=basic (more hydroxide ions than hydrogen ions)
Each increase or decrease of a level of the pH scale represents a 10x change in concentration of ions.
Ex: pH moving from 2 to 4 means the H+ ions decreased by a factor of 100 and the OH- ions
increased by a factor of 100.
Ex: pH moving from 6 to 5 means the H+ ions increased by a factor of 10 and the OH- ions
decreased by a factor of 10.
7. Describe the function of enzymes including how specificity works:
Enzymes are specific proteins which allow reactions to happen by lowering the activation energy.
Enzymes connect to a substrate at their active site.
True/False: Enzymes are used up when they catalyze a reaction and can only be used once.
The greater the concentration of enzymes, the faster a reaction will occur.
The body or environment may control the effectiveness of an enzyme by changing its shape, this means
the active site cannot bind to the substrate.
Some enzymes follow the lock and key model of binding, meaning the active site/substrate binding must
be perfect. Others follow the induced model of binding, meaning the shape of the enzyme will change
slightly in order to bind to the substrate.
8. Identify the structure and function of carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids:
-The process by which monomers are joined together into polymers occurs when a water molecule is
removed and is called dehydration synthesis.
-The process by which polymers are broken down into monomers occurs when a water molecule is
added and is called hydrolysis.