Reflecting back on the course, what are three major themes you would identify that connect the various topics discussed in this course - how are they connected to more than one topic, and how do they connect with what you knew before this course? What knowledge have you gained with regards to these three themes you have identified?

In my opinion, the three major themes of this Biochemistry course would be the structures of life, the functions of those structures, and the generation of energy. Each of these themes connect to multiple topics. The structures of life include topics discussesd such the structures of various biomolecules such as amino acids, proteins, membranes, nucleic acid structure, and carbohydrates. Fuctions of those structures include the function of biomolecules proteins as enzymes (and their mechanisms), nucleic acid replication, transcription, translation and storage mechanisms for carbohydrates. The generation of energy is discussed in the review of all of the metabolic processes such as glycolysis, the TCA cycle, the electron transport chain, photosynthesis, nitrogen metabolism and photocynthesis. You can look at each of these themes with regards to its biological or chemical properties as well as looking at the structure and function specific components of the cells (i.e. the study of nucleic acids in genetics)

Before this course, I took many classes that focused on the structures and functions of biomolecules as well as the generation of energy. Examples of this include biology, cell biology, genetics. However, I have also learned a lot of information that pertained to the chemistry portion of this class. This class has helped me to understand the chemistry behind biological processes discussed in other courses and has really united the two fields of biology and chemistry. In regards to each of these three themes, I have been better able to understand the chemistry behind the biomolecules, their functions, and the generation of energy. For example, we have discussed stereochemistry with molecules such as carbohydrates. Also, we have gone more into depth in the study of enzyme kinetics, with regards to the function of biomolecules. Finally, we have discussed free energy change in depth with regards to glycolysis and the citric acid cycle. I would say that the addition of the knowledge of chemical properties to biological processes that have been discussed in other classes in detail has been the most beneficial knowledge that I have gained in Biochemistry this semester.

How would you explain the connection between glucose entering the body and energy created by the body to a friend, using your new biochemistry knowledge?

Carbohydrates are a large source of energy for our bodies. Glucose is an important simple carbohydrate that, when ingested, can yield a lot of energy for cells in the body. When we ingest glucose, it gets taken into the cell where it is acted upon by many enzymes in a process known as glycolysis to yield energy. Some examples of alterations to glucose during glycolysis include adding a phosphate molecule (phosphorylation), rearranging the molecule (isomerization), splitting the molecule in half (cleavage), losing a phosphate molecule (dephosphorylation), removing electrons (oxidation), and losing a water molecule (dehydration). Glycolysis yields two pyruvate molecules as well as 2 net Adenosine Triphosphate, or ATP molecules. ATP is the cell's energy currency and can be used to perform many important cellular processes. Pyruvate has three different fates, all of which yield much more ATP that can be utilized by the cell. As you can see, glucose is an important food source which produces energy yielding molecules to be used by the cell.