MCAT: Biology & Biochemistry Essentials
Key biology and biochemistry concepts tested on the MCAT. Covers amino acids, enzyme kinetics, molecular biology, and cell biology.
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Which amino acid is the only one that is achiral?
Glycine
Why is proline often referred to as a 'helix breaker' in protein secondary structure?
Its rigid cyclic structure creates steric hindrance and prevents the formation of hydrogen bonds necessary for alpha-helices.
What is the primary structural difference between cysteine and cystine?
Cysteine is the reduced monomeric form containing a thiol group, while cystine is the oxidized dimeric form linked by a disulfide bond.
How is the isoelectric point (pI) calculated for an acidic amino acid like Glutamate?
The pI is the average of the pKa values of the main carboxyl group and the R-group carboxyl group.
What are the one-letter codes for the three basic (positively charged) amino acids?
K (Lysine), R (Arginine), and H (Histidine).
What does the Michaelis constant (Km) represent regarding enzyme-substrate affinity?
Km is the substrate concentration at which the reaction rate is half of Vmax; a lower Km indicates higher affinity.
How does a competitive inhibitor affect the Vmax and Km of an enzymatic reaction?
Vmax remains unchanged, while the apparent Km increases.
Where does an uncompetitive inhibitor bind, and how does it affect the Lineweaver-Burk plot?
It binds only to the enzyme-substrate (ES) complex, resulting in parallel lines with decreased Vmax and decreased Km.
In the Michaelis-Menten equation, what is the relationship between velocity (v) and substrate concentration [S] when [S] is much smaller than Km?
The reaction rate is first-order and directly proportional to [S].
What is the standard flow of genetic information according to the Central Dogma?
DNA is transcribed into RNA, which is then translated into protein.
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