Biochemistry Knowledge

[ieatshrimp24]

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Just a quick question.

Is it important to know the structures of the intermediates of glycolysis and Krebs cycle? I've heard that it's important to know the name of the intermediates and the enzymes of these pathways but do we also need to know the structures?

Any other structures we need to know besides the obvious like glucose, fructose, amino acids?

Thanks.

 

[StudyLater]

I know em. Haven't memorized structures of the intermediates though.

Idk being aware of lipid structures couldn't hurt. Of course structures of functional groups as well. I doubt you'll even be tested on whether you memorized the structure of glucose, but you never know. It's all about personal choices you make along the way, as with any comprehensive test. You're confronted with a barrage of material and your question is always, "Ok, how in depth do I go with this such that I'll remember it but also so that I'm not skimping on anything important?" How this question is answered perpetually along your studies will determine how prepared you become.

 

[jimmypod]

I don't think it would be necessary to know off the top of your head. However, I do know the structures (partly due to a biochemistry course I just took this past spring), and it is extremely useful for long term memory potentiation when you begin connecting the dots of overall biochemical functions. For example, you begin to see more readily the connections between amino acid metabolism with citric acid cycle intermediates via transamination, and how interconnected all of your metabolic processes are.

 

[basophilic]

I'd think understanding the reactions rather than structures/structure names/specific enzyme names would be important; e.g. isomerizations involve enediolates that are rehydrated, things like TPP ylids and iminium intermediates help avoid the required (hypothetical) extremely unstable carbonyl anion (ROC: ^(-)), phosphoryl intermediates are used since they are great leaving groups, functional differences between flavins/quinones vs. NADH vs. cytochromes (i.e. structural differences allow 1 vs. 2 vs. 1 or 2 electron carriers), observe and compare the electron relays used by PLP cofactor in deaminating/transaminating amino acids vs. the proton relays found in say the catalytic triad of chymotrypsin or something like glycogen phosphorylase (which incidentally uses PLP cofactor in a completely different way); after this look at the big picture. I say this primarily b/c it's way more fun than just memorizing the metabolome; focus your explicit memory/effortful processing on understanding the reactions and let your implicit memory take care of the details