WGU C785 BIOCHEMISTRY | Questions with 100% Verified Answers | Latest Update 2026/2027

WGU C785 BIOCHEMISTRY | Questions with 100% Verified
Answers | Latest Update 2026/2027
Question: What is the basic structure of an amino acid? What do they
look like?
Answer: amino group (NH2 or NH3), carboxyl group (COO or COOH), alpha carbon (C), and
variable group

Question: How do you identify the 3 different types of side chains: non-
polar/hydrophobic, polar, and charged?
Answer: Non-polar/hydrophobic - end with CH or "can't have" water. Polar - end with OH, SH, or
NH. Charged - end with a charge

Question: what kinds of bonds do each of the 3 different types of side
chains make?
Answer: ionic, hydrophobic/non-polar, charged

Question: What are the 4 levels of protein structure?
Answer: Primary - linear structure, Secondary - Folded into helix or pleated sheet caused by
hydrogen bonding, tertiary - 3D structure caused by side chain interactions, quaternary -
1+ amino acid chains combine = multiple subunits MUST have 1+ subunit

Question: What enviormental change breaks each type of bond?
Answer: hydrophobic - temperature change, ionic - salt or decreased pH, hydrogen -
temperature, change in pH, disulfide - reducing agents

Question: what type of amino acid side chain leads to protein
aggregration?
Answer: hydrophobic bonds

Question: how do environmental changes affect protein folding?
Answer: Extreme temp can cause hydrogen bonds to break apart = malformation of protein
folding

Question: how do mutations affect protein structure?
Answer: Can cause structure to change. Protein loses form = loses function. May form a
different
protein.

Question: What is an electron?
Answer: Negatively charged atom on outer ring for bonding

Question: What is energy:
Answer: Power derived fro chemical interaction

,Question: what are covalent bonds?
Answer: chemical bond, atoms share 1+ valence electrons

Question: what is an ionic bond?
Answer: bond between positive and negative

Question: what is a hydrogen bond?
Answer: weak bond between positive and negative

Question: with an amino?
Answer: piece of amino acid, NH2 or NH3

Question: what is a carboyxl?
Answer: piece of amino acid, COO or COOH

Question: What is hydrophobic?
Answer: Doesn't like water, end with CH

Question: what is hydrophilic?
Answer: Water Lovering, end with OH, NH, or SH

Question: what is disulfide bond?
Answer: strongest bond between reduction agents, formed between SH's.

Question: what are zwitterions?
Answer: amino with positive and negative charges = overall charge of zero

Question: what is a polypeptide
Answer: polymer of amino acids

Question: What is dehydration synthesis?
Answer: Process of forming peptide bonds

Question: what is hydrolysis?
Answer: adding water to destroy bonds

Question: what is an alpha helix?
Answer: twisted secondary structure, formed by hydrogen bonds

Question: what is a beta sheet?
Answer: folded second structure shape, formed by hydrogen bonds

Question: what is denaturation?
Answer: loss of shape duet o interruption of chemical bonds; occurs via extreme salt, temp, pH

, Question: what is aggregation?
Answer: clumping of inner or outer cellular proteins caused by misfolded proteins leading to
diseases such as Alzheimers, ALS, Parkinson's

Question: how do enzymes catalyze reactions?
Answer: bind with substrates to decrease activation energy required and decrease reaction
rate

Question: how do enzymes affect reaction rate and activation energy?
Answer: decrease activation energy and decrease reaction rate

Question: what are the 4 steps of the enzymatic cycle?
Answer: enzyme recognizes substrate, substrate attracts the enzyme; enzyme-substrate
complex
is formed; enzyme-product complex formed; product is released, enzyme recycled

Question: how do environmental changes affect enzymes?
Answer: High heat, pH change, high salt concentration, and reducing agents can cause an
enzyme to lose its form/lose function

Question: what is a competitive inhibitor?
Answer: Mimics substrate and takes its place on the active binding site

Question: what is a noncompetitive inhibitor?
Answer: Binds to allosteric site causing active site to change shape = preventing substrate
from
binding with enzyme

Question: what molecules increase/build up or decrease given a specific
inhibitor? A -> (enzyme 1) -> B -> (enzyme 2) -> C -> (enzyme 3)
-> D. Pretend Enzyme 2 is inhibited.
Answer: Inhibitor would cause a build up for product B, decrease product C. Enzyme 3 and
product D would not be created.

Question: what is substrate?
Answer: the substance on which an enzyme acts

Question: what is a product?
Answer: result of a reaction

Question: what is an intermediate?
Answer: products produced in an enzyme pathway before final product

Question: what is an active site?
Answer: location where substrate binds with enzyme