WGU C785 BIOCHEMISTRY UNIT EXAM QUESTIONS &
ANSWERS
1. Activation Energy:ANS>> The energy required to start a chemical reaction.
2. Amino acid: ANS>> An amino acid is a small molecule containing an amino group and a
carboxylic acid group as well
as a side chain of variable structure, called an R group
3. Catalyst: ANS>> substances that speed up chemical reactions and remain unchanged by the
reaction they facilitate
4. Chaperones: ANS>> Helper molecules that assist the folding of a newly made polypeptide.
5. Competitive inhibitor: ANS>> A molecule which competes with the substrate for binding to
the enzyme active site
there by inhibiting the enzyme's activity.
6. Denaturation: ANS>> A process by which the native functional structure of a molecule has be
disrupted
7. disulfide bond: ANS>> A double bond between two Sulphur atoms in cysteine side chains.
8. hydrophobic effect: ANS>> The tendency of water to minimize its contacts with nonpolar
substances, thereby
inducing the substances to aggregate.
9. hydrophobic interactions: ANS>> Interaction between the R groups of hydrophobic amino
acids.
10. Induced fit: ANS>> A model of enzyme action indicating that the enzyme's active site
conformation changes slightly
to better accommodate a specific substrate.
11. Ion pair: ANS>> Alternative term for salt bridge. An electrostatic interaction between
two ionic groups of opposite charge.
12. noncompetitive inhibitor: ANS>> A molecule which inhibits the enzyme action by
binding at a site other than the active binding site of the enzyme.
13. Peptide bond: ANS>> Amino acids are linked together by a specific type of bond called
peptide bond
14. Polypeptide: ANS>> A single protein chain consisting of several amino acids bonded by
peptide bonds is called a
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ANSWERS
1. Activation Energy:ANS>> The energy required to start a chemical reaction.
2. Amino acid: ANS>> An amino acid is a small molecule containing an amino group and a
carboxylic acid group as well
as a side chain of variable structure, called an R group
3. Catalyst: ANS>> substances that speed up chemical reactions and remain unchanged by the
reaction they facilitate
4. Chaperones: ANS>> Helper molecules that assist the folding of a newly made polypeptide.
5. Competitive inhibitor: ANS>> A molecule which competes with the substrate for binding to
the enzyme active site
there by inhibiting the enzyme's activity.
6. Denaturation: ANS>> A process by which the native functional structure of a molecule has be
disrupted
7. disulfide bond: ANS>> A double bond between two Sulphur atoms in cysteine side chains.
8. hydrophobic effect: ANS>> The tendency of water to minimize its contacts with nonpolar
substances, thereby
inducing the substances to aggregate.
9. hydrophobic interactions: ANS>> Interaction between the R groups of hydrophobic amino
acids.
10. Induced fit: ANS>> A model of enzyme action indicating that the enzyme's active site
conformation changes slightly
to better accommodate a specific substrate.
11. Ion pair: ANS>> Alternative term for salt bridge. An electrostatic interaction between
two ionic groups of opposite charge.
12. noncompetitive inhibitor: ANS>> A molecule which inhibits the enzyme action by
binding at a site other than the active binding site of the enzyme.
13. Peptide bond: ANS>> Amino acids are linked together by a specific type of bond called
peptide bond
14. Polypeptide: ANS>> A single protein chain consisting of several amino acids bonded by
peptide bonds is called a
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