1,722 Answered Questions for the topic biochemistry

05/13/19

Can scientists create totally synthetic life?
This particular question has been of a great deal of interest to me, especially since it dives at the heart of abiogenesis.
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05/13/19

Simple diffusion of lipid-soluble molecules through phospholipid bilayer -- does anything get "stuck" in transit?
It's a pretty elementary concept, and when I first learned of it I don't think I had the foundations to even think of such a question, but I found myself the other day thinking about the... more
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05/13/19

Ocean Acidification
How does concentration, atmosphere and ocean temperature, and mixing affect solubility?Also, what are the affects if it goes reverse?Here is my reaction:CO2+H2O ↔H2CO3↔H↔HCO31-↔2H↔CO3
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05/13/19

Why is chlorophyll green? Isn't there a more energetically favorable color?
Chlorophyll being green means it absorbs light in the red and blue area of the spectrum. Isn't this the high and low energy light? Wouldn't plants get more energy if they absorbed light in the... more
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Biochemistry Cardiology

05/12/19

Why does the heart use lipids (and not glucose)?
Fetal hearts use glucose as their primary metabolic substrate. Adult hearts use free fatty acids, which are less efficient (require more $O_2$ to synthesize the same amount of ATP); however,... more
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05/12/19

Are there differences in cell membrane cholesterol levels between cell types?
With different cell types, and cell functions, are there distinct levels of cholesterol in each cell type's cell membrane, or do all cell types have a similar amount of cholesterol? I am assuming... more
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05/12/19

Why does hair turn grey or white, and why does it happen later for some?
The question is pretty simple: what is happening molecularly when hair turns grey or white? I would imagine that it is due to the lack of a particular compound. I'm also interested in why some... more
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Biochemistry Sleep Neuroscience

05/11/19

Why do we feel tired if we sleep excessively?
When we eat, finally we feel full. I know which mechanism causes the sensation of being full. But when we sleep excessively we often still want more sleep. Why does this happen? Is there a... more
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05/11/19

What makes us hungry?
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Biochemistry Neuroscience

05/11/19

What limits the maximum spacing of Nodes of Ranvier and which organisms tend to have the widest gaps?
Assuming that a longer distance between gaps in the myelin sheath is beneficial for an organism due to the increased propagation speed, what is the limiting factor in determining the maximum... more
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Biochemistry Dna Cell Biology Rna

05/11/19

Why is thymine not incorporated into mRNA?
I am aware that in transcription uracil bonds to adenine and not thymine. But what is it that actually prevents thymine from bonding to adenine in transcription, that is not present in replication?
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05/10/19

What is the purpose of gluconeogenesis?
The gluconeogenesis pathway seems quite pointless to me. I don't understand why an organism would want to spend energy to create a molecule that can then be metabolized again for less energy? The... more
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Biochemistry Rna

05/10/19

How is RNAse contamination in RNA based experiments prevented?
Does anyone have any suggestions to prevent RNAse contamination when working with RNA?I tend to have issues with degradation regardless of whether I use DEPC treated / RNAse free water and filtered... more
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05/10/19

During starvation, does the human body do anything to prioritize which organs receive nutrients?
When food is scarce, the body slows its metabolic rate to conserve energy. Are there any other systems or processes that prioritize which organs receive nutrients?
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Biochemistry Pharmacology

05/07/19

Meta-analysis of fruits in blocking Cytochrome family?
My professor says that some drugs cannot be used with grapefruit. I am trying to search a list of cytochromes and their effect to block members in the cytochrome family. Some in Cyt P450.**What is... more
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05/07/19

How does methamphetamine (meth) damage neurons?
Meth is considered to be neurotoxic by forming reactive oxygen species and oxidizing the neurons. But unlike dopamine, which, by the way, [is neurotoxic due to ROS induced dopaminergic... more
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Biochemistry Physiology Perception

05/07/19

Why do mints make your mouth feel cold?
Why do mints make your mouth feel cold? And specifically, why does your mouth feel so cold if you eat a few mints and then drink a glass of cold water afterwards?
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05/07/19

When running a gel, what could cause a standard to run "faster" than usual?
We are running a gel on the products of a restriction digest to determine the size of an insert. We know the vector backbone size should be ~2.9kb; however, the standard appears to be running too... more
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05/07/19

How do antioxidants affect human metabolism?
I'd like to know how antioxidants affect human metabolism and which ones are essential for metabolic processes.
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Biochemistry Human Physiology Food

05/07/19

Why don't we feel hungry after waking up?
Yesterday, I was fasting (drinking only water until I had dinner at 9 pm). After dinner, I went back to my lab (I am a Master's student) and worked till 1:30 AM. By 1 o' clock, I was feeling *quite... more
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05/04/19

Why is the brain dependent on glucose?
The strict dependence of the (human) brain on glucose has always been puzzling to me. While ketones can substitute for a portion of the brain's energy needs, it cannot substitute completely: blood... more
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05/04/19

How does paracetamol work?
[Hinz *et al.* 2008](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17884974) found that COX-2 may be inhibited by paracetamol, and this is attributed to it's... more
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Biochemistry Pharmacology Drugs

05/04/19

Why is the effect of competitive antagonist less than the effect of non-competetive antagonists?
Drugs can be provided as a competive or non-competitive form of agonists. But the effect of non-competitive antagonists is much more than the other, so what is the cause of that? And are there... more
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Biochemistry Physiology

05/02/19

Respiratory Physiology: Hemoglobin
A woman dumped a bucket of ice water over her head to raise global awareness about a neurological disease called amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, ALS. Which of the following correctly describes what... more
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04/30/19

How does the body switch between aerobic and anaerobic respiration?
Lets take the case of a person doing heavy exercise. Aerobic respiration is taking place, but oxygen is about to be finished up. Glycolysis occurs, Krebs cycle finishes. Now NADH and... more
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