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Biochemistry Vocabulary Introduction

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Biochemistry Vocabulary Introduction

Use the case file and your chemistry knowledge to interpret biomolecule evidence. Answer in complete sentences where asked. For Question 3, match each term to one definition; use each letter once.

Case file: The mystery of the warm reaction

A lab group adds catalase from potato tissue to a solution of hydrogen peroxide. Bubbles form as hydrogen peroxide breaks down into water and oxygen. The reaction happens much faster with catalase than without it. Catalase is not used up in the reaction. The group then tests a different molecule, lactose, and finds that catalase does not break it down. In a separate sample, they find starch made from many glucose units, and a protein made from amino acids joined by peptide bonds.

1.In the catalase reaction, identify the enzyme and its substrate. Support your answer with evidence from the case file.

2.Which observation best supports the claim that catalase acts as a catalyst?

Bubbles form when catalase is present.
The reaction is faster with catalase, and catalase is not used up.
Catalase is found in potato tissue.
Catalase does not break down lactose.

3.Match each biochemistry term to its definition. Write the correct letter beside each term.

Monomer
Polymer
Substrate
Macromolecule
Active site

B. A molecule an enzyme acts on
C. A small molecular unit that can join to others
D. A very large molecule important in biological systems
A. A large molecule built from smaller repeating units
E. The region of an enzyme where the substrate binds

4.Glucose units join to form starch. Classify glucose and starch as monomer or polymer, and explain the relationship between them.

5.Choose one food from this list—bread, avocado, eggs, or orange—and name a biomolecule class it contains. Give one likely biological role of that biomolecule.

6.Which set lists the four major classes of biological macromolecules commonly studied in biochemistry?

Carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, nucleic acids
Carbohydrates, water, minerals, vitamins
Proteins, minerals, salts, nucleic acids
Lipids, oxygen, carbohydrates, vitamins

7.A protein contains amino acids joined by peptide bonds. Which statement best describes the bond’s role?

It links amino acids into a polypeptide chain.
It joins glucose units into starch.
It stores genetic instructions in DNA.
It binds an enzyme permanently to its substrate.

8.The group finds that catalase does not break down lactose. Explain what this suggests about enzyme specificity, using the terms substrate and active site.

9.True or false: An enzyme increases reaction rate by lowering activation energy, and the enzyme itself is consumed in the reaction. Correct the statement if it is false.

TrueFalse

10.A student says, “Every biological molecule is a polymer made from repeating monomers.” Is this accurate? Explain briefly, using lipids or another suitable example.