GPAT Biochemistry Syllabus

Biochemistry syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Biochemistry in GPAT, not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Cell

   2 topics

   • Cell Structure
   • Cell Function
2. 2

   Lipids

   2 topics

   • Types of Lipids
   • Lipid Metabolism
3. 3

   Enzymes

   2 topics

   • Enzyme Classification
   • Enzyme Kinetics
4. 4

   Nucleic acids

   2 topics

   • DNA Structure and Function
   • RNA Structure and Function
5. 5

   Vitamins

   2 topics

   • Fat-Soluble Vitamins
   • Water-Soluble Vitamins
6. 6

   Biological oxidations & reductions

   2 topics

   • Redox Reactions
   • Oxidation-Reduction in Metabolism
7. 7

   Carbohydrates

   2 topics

   • Monosaccharides
   • Polysaccharides
8. 8

   Proteins

   2 topics

   • Protein Structure
   • Protein Synthesis
9. 9

   Hereditary diseases

   2 topics

   • Genetic Disorders
   • Inherited Metabolic Disorders

Biochemistry flashcards for GPAT

19 of 52 cards from the Biochemistry deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. What is the defining feature that distinguishes eukaryotic cells from prokaryotic cells?

   Eukaryotic cells have a membrane-bound nucleus and membrane-bound organelles, whereas prokaryotic cells lack a true nucleus and membrane-bound organelles.

2. Which organelle is known as the 'powerhouse of the cell' and what is its main function?

   The mitochondrion; it generates ATP via oxidative phosphorylation (the electron transport chain) and is the site of the citric acid cycle.

3. What is the structural model that describes the plasma membrane, and what are its two main components?

   The fluid mosaic model; a phospholipid bilayer with embedded proteins (integral and peripheral), interspersed with cholesterol and carbohydrates.

4. Which cell organelle is responsible for protein synthesis, and what are its two subunits in eukaryotes?

   The ribosome; in eukaryotes it consists of a 60S large subunit and a 40S small subunit (together forming an 80S ribosome).

5. What is the function of the rough endoplasmic reticulum versus the smooth endoplasmic reticulum?

   Rough ER (studded with ribosomes) synthesizes and processes proteins; smooth ER synthesizes lipids/steroids, detoxifies drugs, and stores calcium.

6. What is the primary role of the Golgi apparatus in the cell?

   It modifies, sorts, packages, and ships proteins and lipids received from the ER into vesicles for secretion or delivery to other organelles.

7. What enzymes do lysosomes contain and what is their function?

   Lysosomes contain hydrolytic (acid hydrolase) enzymes that digest macromolecules, worn-out organelles (autophagy), and foreign material; they function at acidic pH (~4.5-5).

8. What is the general structure of a triacylglycerol (triglyceride)?

   A glycerol backbone esterified to three fatty acid chains; it is the major storage form of energy in adipose tissue.

9. How do saturated fatty acids differ structurally from unsaturated fatty acids?

   Saturated fatty acids have no C=C double bonds (straight chains, solid at room temp); unsaturated fatty acids have one or more C=C double bonds (kinked chains, liquid at room temp).

10. What are phospholipids and what is their key structural feature?

    Amphipathic lipids with a hydrophilic phosphate-containing head and two hydrophobic fatty acid tails; they form the bilayer of cell membranes.

11. Which lipid is the precursor of steroid hormones, bile acids, and vitamin D, and contains a four-ring structure?

    Cholesterol (a sterol with the cyclopentanoperhydrophenanthrene/steroid nucleus).

12. What is beta-oxidation and where does it occur?

    The catabolic process that breaks down fatty acids into acetyl-CoA, removing 2 carbons per cycle; it occurs in the mitochondrial matrix and produces FADH2 and NADH.

13. How many ATP (net) are produced from the complete oxidation of one molecule of palmitate (C16)?

    129 ATP by the older count (or ~106 ATP using current P/O ratios); palmitate yields 8 acetyl-CoA, 7 FADH2, and 7 NADH after activation costs 2 ATP.

14. What molecule shuttles long-chain fatty acids across the inner mitochondrial membrane for beta-oxidation?

    Carnitine, via the carnitine shuttle using enzymes CPT-I and CPT-II.

15. What are ketone bodies, and which three compounds are they?

    Water-soluble fuels made from acetyl-CoA in the liver during fasting/starvation: acetoacetate, beta-hydroxybutyrate, and acetone.

16. What are the six classes of enzymes in the EC (Enzyme Commission) classification?

    Oxidoreductases, Transferases, Hydrolases, Lyases, Isomerases, and Ligases.

17. Which enzyme class catalyzes hydrolysis reactions (bond cleavage by adding water)?

    Hydrolases (EC class 3); examples include lipases, proteases, and phosphatases.

18. Which enzyme class catalyzes the transfer of electrons (oxidation-reduction reactions)?

    Oxidoreductases (EC class 1); examples include dehydrogenases and oxidases.

19. What does the Michaelis-Menten equation state, and what is its form?

    It relates reaction velocity to substrate concentration: v = (Vmax [S]) / (Km + [S]), describing the kinetics of a single-substrate enzyme reaction.

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