30-Second Biochemistry by Stephen Contakes

Author:Stephen Contakes
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Ivy Press
Published: 2021-12-15T00:00:00+00:00

MAKING LIFE

MAKING LIFE

GLOSSARY

action potential

The electrical portion of nerve transmission that involves changes in electrical potential down a neuron due to opening and closing ion channels.

bases

Also called nucleobases or nitrogenous bases, these are the flat portions of nucleic acids that serve to store and recognize information in biological systems.

chloroplast

A green disk-shaped plant organelle in which the light-driven reactions of photosynthesis occur.

chlorophyll

A class of green molecules that absorb light in photosystems and use their energy to drive electron flow.

codon

A sequence of three DNA or RNA bases that indicates when a protein chain should be started, stopped or extended with a particular amino acid.

denitrification

Processes involved in the reduction of nitrate (NO3–) that ultimately remove it from biological systems as N2.

DNA

Deoxyribonucleic acid, a type of nucleic acid used to store genetic information.

epigenetic

Factors that change how genes are expressed or manifested in an organism because of chemical modifications to DNA or DNA-packaging proteins called histones.

fixation

The conversion of an element into a chemical form living systems can use.

genome

The complete collection of all of an organism’s information-bearing nucleic acids, or genes.

glucogenic

Producing glucose. Amino acids are said to be glucogenic if they are degraded in a way that can give rise to glucose.

hydroxylamine

A compound formed by adding a hydroxyl or OH to the nitrogen of ammonia, giving a compound of formula NH3OH.

ion channel

A protein that provides a way for ions to move across a biological membrane.

ketogenic

Producing ketone bodies – a type of metabolic fuel produced from fats. Amino acids are said to be ketogenic if they are degraded to acetyl-CoA, which can be used to make ketone bodies.

lysosome

An organelle consisting of an acidic sac of enzymes that acts as the ‘gut of the cell’ by catalysing the cleavage of biomolecules.

NADPH

Abbreviation for phosphate-bearing nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide hydride, which is used to reduce metabolites in anabolic processes.

neurotransmitter

A molecule released into the synapse between neurons that acts as the chemical signal in nerve transmission.

nitrification

Processes involved in converting nitrogen fixed as ammonia to nitrate, which plants can more readily absorb.

nucleotide

A type of biomolecule consisting of one to three phosphates, a ribose or deoxyribose sugar, and a base. Nucleotides are involved in storing and transmitting genetic information (DNA and RNA), metabolic energy (ATP), electrons (NADH) and chemical signals.

oxidation

Chemical processes that remove electrons from atomic centres. In biochemistry this typically involves removing hydrogen atoms or increasing the proportion of oxygen atoms present in a molecule or ion.

phosphate

A group of atoms of formula PO43– that performs many functions in biomolecules.

proteasome

An assembly of proteins that cuts protein chains that have been tagged with ubiquitin into small fragments.

pyruvate

A three-carbon metabolic intermediate produced from the breakdown of sugars.

replication

The process of copying or reproducing DNA.

RNA

Ribonucleic acid, a nucleic acid that serves to transmit the information stored in DNA.

special pair

A pair of chlorophyll molecules that receives light energy in photosystems and convert it into electron flow.

transcription

The process of converting or ‘transcribing’ DNA into an RNA message.

translation

The process of converting or translating an RNA message into a protein chain.

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