What is the primary role of enzymes in biochemical reactions?

To decrease the activation energy.

Biochemistry and Cell Biology Cheat Sheet

This cheat sheet summarizes key concepts in Biochemistry and Cell Biology, covering acid-base properties, amino acids, proteins, enzymes, metabolism, signaling, and cellular respiration. It provides a concise overview of essential biochemical processes and structures.

Core Principles

Acids donate protons (H+), and bases accept them. pH measures hydrogen ion concentration.
Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins, characterized by an alpha-carbon, amino group, carboxylic acid, and a variable side chain (R group).
Proteins fold into complex 3D structures (primary, secondary, tertiary, quaternary) essential for their diverse functions.
Enzymes are biological catalysts that speed up reactions by lowering activation energy, exhibiting high specificity.
Metabolism encompasses catabolic (breakdown) and anabolic (synthesis) pathways, crucial for energy production and biosynthesis.
Cellular respiration, including glycolysis, the citric acid cycle, and oxidative phosphorylation, generates ATP, the cell's primary energy currency.

Formulas

$pH = -log[H^+]$
$Ka = \frac{[H^+][A^-]}{[HA]}$
$pKa = -log Ka$
$pH = pKa + log(\[A^-\]/[HA])$
$log \frac{I_0}{I} = \epsilon l c = A$
$\Delta G = \Delta H - T\Delta S$
$pH < pKa: [HA] > [A^-]$
$pH = pKa: [HA] = [A^-]$
$pH > pKa: [HA] < [A^-]$

Quiz

What is the primary role of enzymes in biochemical reactions?: To decrease the activation energy.
Which level of protein structure refers to the amino acid sequence?: Primary Structure
What is the main product of glycolysis?: Pyruvate