Pages within CHEM 116

Questions a biochemist might ask:

How do organisms convert the available energy in food into usable energy to do such things as move, think and so forth?
How do living things synthesize very large, complex molecules out of simple molecules (and thus at least appearing to break the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics)?
How is information passed to offspring?
How do various molecules such as hormones, coenzymes and so forth regulate the vast array of different interdependent equilibria which a living thing must maintain simultaneously?

For example:

a. % water in cells and blood. b. sugar level in blood and cells

c. various ion mineral ratios such as Na+/K+, Ca+2/Mg+2, etc.

d. pH in various tissues e. blood amino acides, cholesterol, etc.

f. oxygen/carbon dioxide ration in cells and blood.

g. Temperature h. heart rate i. etc.....

Definitions:

anabolic: A metabolic reaction which synthesizes a more complex molecule from simpler ones. (requiring energy?)

catabolic: A metabolic reaction which breaks a more complicated molecule into simpler molecules (producing energy?)

Last Updated: 06/16/2015