General Biology 1: Week 7 - Structure and Functions of Enzymes
Introduction
Greetings and acknowledgments to students and teachers from various schools.
Week 7 topic: Structure and Functions of Enzymes.
Global Media and Information Literacy Week by UNESCO.
Importance of validating sources, corroborating information, and understanding content creation to identify credible scientific information.
Review from Last Week
Cell membrane functions: transport materials into and out of the cell due to its unique structure.
Mechanisms of membrane transport: Passive (simple diffusion, osmosis, facilitated diffusion) vs. Active (primary active transport, endocytosis, exocytosis).
Competencies for This Week
Describe the components of an enzyme.
Explain oxidation and reduction reactions.
Determine the effects of pH, temperature, and substrate concentration on enzyme activity.
Origin of Life: Primordial Soup Theory
Early Earth's harsh conditions with methane-rich atmosphere and stormy climate led to the formation of biomolecules like amino acids and proteins.
Stanley Miller-Urey experiment simulated early Earth conditions, supporting the primordial soup theory by producing amino acids.
Proteins and Amino Acids
Proteins: Organic compounds composed of amino acids linked by peptide bonds.
Amino acids: Building blocks of proteins, consisting of a central carbon atom, amino group (NH2), carboxyl group (COOH), and a variable R side chain.
Protein structures: Primary (amino acid chain), Secondary (folds due to main chain interactions), Tertiary (3D structure from side chain interactions), Quaternary (multiple amino acid chains, e.g., hemoglobin).
Enzymes
Enzymes: Proteins that catalyze chemical reactions by lowering activation energy.