HONS: BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY AND DRUG
DISCOVERY STUDY GUIDE, EXAM QUESTIONS
AND VERIFIED ANSWERS LATEST UPDATE
2024/2025
Biological Chemistry and Drug Discovery is a fascinating and complex field. I'll break down
some key concepts and provide practice questions with answers. Let’s start with a general
overview and then dive into specific topics.
Key Concepts
1. Biological Chemistry:
o Biomolecules: Understand the structure and function of proteins, nucleic acids, lipids,
and carbohydrates.
o Enzyme Function: Learn how enzymes work as biological catalysts, including concepts
like active sites, enzyme kinetics (Michaelis-Menten equation), and factors affecting
enzyme activity.
o Metabolic Pathways: Study how biological systems convert nutrients into energy and
building blocks through pathways like glycolysis, the citric acid cycle, and oxidative
phosphorylation.
o Chemical Bonding in Biology: Explore how hydrogen bonds, ionic interactions, and Van
der Waals forces contribute to the structure and function of biomolecules.
2. Drug Discovery:
o Pharmacokinetics: Learn about how drugs are absorbed, distributed, metabolized, and
excreted in the body.
o Pharmacodynamics: Study how drugs interact with biological targets (like receptors or
enzymes) and the resulting physiological effects.
o Drug Design: Understand concepts like structure-activity relationship (SAR), high-
throughput screening, and lead optimization.
o Clinical Trials: Know the phases of clinical trials, from preclinical testing to Phase I-IV
trials, and their purpose.
Practice Questions and Answers
Biological Chemistry Questions:
1. Question: What are the main types of non-covalent interactions that stabilize protein
structures?
Answer: The main types of non-covalent interactions that stabilize protein structures
DISCOVERY STUDY GUIDE, EXAM QUESTIONS
AND VERIFIED ANSWERS LATEST UPDATE
2024/2025
Biological Chemistry and Drug Discovery is a fascinating and complex field. I'll break down
some key concepts and provide practice questions with answers. Let’s start with a general
overview and then dive into specific topics.
Key Concepts
1. Biological Chemistry:
o Biomolecules: Understand the structure and function of proteins, nucleic acids, lipids,
and carbohydrates.
o Enzyme Function: Learn how enzymes work as biological catalysts, including concepts
like active sites, enzyme kinetics (Michaelis-Menten equation), and factors affecting
enzyme activity.
o Metabolic Pathways: Study how biological systems convert nutrients into energy and
building blocks through pathways like glycolysis, the citric acid cycle, and oxidative
phosphorylation.
o Chemical Bonding in Biology: Explore how hydrogen bonds, ionic interactions, and Van
der Waals forces contribute to the structure and function of biomolecules.
2. Drug Discovery:
o Pharmacokinetics: Learn about how drugs are absorbed, distributed, metabolized, and
excreted in the body.
o Pharmacodynamics: Study how drugs interact with biological targets (like receptors or
enzymes) and the resulting physiological effects.
o Drug Design: Understand concepts like structure-activity relationship (SAR), high-
throughput screening, and lead optimization.
o Clinical Trials: Know the phases of clinical trials, from preclinical testing to Phase I-IV
trials, and their purpose.
Practice Questions and Answers
Biological Chemistry Questions:
1. Question: What are the main types of non-covalent interactions that stabilize protein
structures?
Answer: The main types of non-covalent interactions that stabilize protein structures
