What This Document Is
This is a midterm assessment for CHEM 375, Elements of Biochemistry, at Western Washington University. It’s designed to evaluate a student’s understanding of core biochemical principles covered in the first half of the course. The assessment focuses on applying theoretical knowledge to problem-solving, requiring detailed explanations and structural representations. It’s a substantial exam, spanning seven pages and testing a range of concepts.
Why This Document Matters
This resource is invaluable for students currently enrolled in a similar biochemistry course, or those preparing for an exam covering these topics. It’s particularly useful for identifying areas where your understanding needs strengthening. Working through practice problems – even without the solutions – can significantly improve your test-taking skills and ability to apply biochemical concepts. It’s best used *after* you’ve engaged with course materials like lectures and textbooks, as a way to self-assess and pinpoint knowledge gaps before a high-stakes exam.
Common Limitations or Challenges
This document presents the *questions* from a past midterm, but does not include the answers, explanations, or scoring rubrics. It’s a tool for self-testing and practice, not a substitute for understanding the underlying concepts. Successfully navigating this assessment requires a solid foundation in biochemistry principles and the ability to perform calculations and draw complex molecular structures. It assumes familiarity with standard biochemical nomenclature and reaction mechanisms.
What This Document Provides
* Problems relating to peptide sequencing based on amino acid analysis and fragmentation data.
* Questions requiring the prediction of secondary protein structure.
* Tasks involving the drawing and understanding of complex biomolecule structures (e.g., NADH, peptides).
* Titration calculations related to peptide ionization states and pKa values.
* Analysis of enzyme kinetics and determination of enzyme source (liver vs. muscle).
* Questions exploring the impact of mutations on protein function (hemoglobin).
* Problems concerning enzyme mechanisms and the role of specific amino acid residues.
* Nomenclature of enzyme-catalyzed reactions.
* Metabolic pathway outlines (mannose to fructose-1,6-bisphosphate).
* Isotope tracing exercises to understand metabolic transformations.
