Molecular Biology & Biochemistry - Biol 99
    
Homework 3 - 5   
due: various dates

These may be emailed or handed in by class time as hard copies.  If you email, you may hand in sketches & diagrams as hard copies.

# 3.  due 5/4/10    Explain the "note" below Table 16-1 (p. 444-45 (in 6th edition).  If glycolysis can only proceed if all the dG values <0, how do we use glucose?   What does the comment about not knowing the concentrations of metabolites in vivo mean, and how is this related to  dG >0?

# 4.  due 5/6/10  Refer to Chapter 18 in your textbook.  In your own words, supplemented with diagrams if you choose, explain:

    a.  the purpose of oxidative phosphorylation

    b.  what a redox potential is

    c.  why the  molecules listed in Table 18-2 are good "electron carriers" - this must include a brief explanation of what an "electron carrier" is

# 5.  due 5/11/10    Refer to Chapter 22 in your textbook.  In your own words, supplemented with diagrams if you choose, explain:

    a.  what is a neutral lipid; what saturated and unsaturated mean in this context

    b.  from what might a fatty acid be synthesized (idenitfy the pathways);  how many ATP equivalents are used to generate 6 C of a fatty acid chain?

    c.  into what is a fatty acid is degraded (identify the pathways);  how many ATP equivalents are generated per 6 C of fatty acid chain?

    d.  Is fat a more efficient biomolecule for energy storage than carbohydrates or proteins?  Explain; support your argument.