Questions tagged [organic-chemistry]
Chemistry relating to carbon-containing compounds. Should relate to biology as opposed to being purely about chemistry.
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questions
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5 views
Alternative method for starch detection but Lugol Test
I was wondering whether there were some other ways to detect starch presence in leaves but exposing them to an iodine solution, (Lugol Test). This test is the only technique I managed to find about.
3
votes
1answer
80 views
Why do we need to amplify DNA sequences?
I am learning about biotechnology. I have no education in biology or chemistry and am simply interested in the subject of biotechnology.
I am wondering why we need to have multiple copies of a piece ...
2
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0answers
123 views
Living potato clock? [duplicate]
Could a potato stay alive and power a clock while growing in the ground?
I know how a potato clock works as a electrochemical cell and involves chemistry, but I am only interested in a growing ...
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0answers
27 views
How to recreate bioluminescence in a lab?
I have several mg/mL of D-luciferin, luciferase (firefly), ATP solution (25 mmol) and MgSO4 (for the mg2+ ions). The experiment has to be done in cuvettes of 2,5 mL (if I get any results, it will be ...
3
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1answer
43 views
Is studying chemical and physical properties of chemical substances that make up organisms really a task of molecular biology?
I have read in a high school textbook that (translated into English by myself): "Branch of science that concerns itself with studying chemical and physical properties of substances that make up ...
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0answers
46 views
Why does decomposing matter emit a bad smell?
Often, when matter decomposes (such as a rotting carcass), a nasty smell is emitted. After speaking to my teacher, it was likely due to the nitrogen compounds that leads to the bad smell. Is this so?...
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0answers
29 views
Is there a organ or type of cell that makes Nagalase?
Schindler disease / Kanzaki disease is being described as alpha-N-acetylgalactosaminidase deficiency. So then, which organ or cell(s) produce this alpha-N-acetylgalactosaminidase (Nagalase) ?
1
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1answer
33 views
Glycosidic bonds
For the glycosidic bond in maltose, why is the glycosidic bond formed between hydroxyl group on C1 in 1 glucose molecule and hydroxyl group on C4 of the other glucose molecule? Why not between, say, ...
1
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1answer
241 views
How do alcohols and aldehydes destroy the plasma membranes of bacteria?
I am interested in knowing why a 60-80% solution of alcohol (usually ethanol or 2-propanol) can effectively kill vegetative bacteria and fungi. I know that it can coagulate essential proteins like ...
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0answers
31 views
Amino acid structural charges [closed]
Hello,
I was wondering if i could get an explanation as to why the charge of this peptide is +2 and -2. How do you figure this out? What is it based on exactly?
Thank you
3
votes
0answers
59 views
Preparation of dihydroxyacetone phosphate from glycerine by fermentation
I read on Wikipedia that
dihydroxyacetone (DHA) can be obtained from fermentation of glycerin. I would like to obtain dihydydroxyacetone phosphate (DHAP) for a science experiment but, since I'm 15, I ...
1
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0answers
37 views
What chemicals will kill P1 Phage but not E. coli?
I'm working with E. coli and P1 Phage. I'm wondering if there is some chemical agent that will kill or disable P1 but leave E. coli untouched? It is not enough to just prevent infection. It must ...
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1answer
267 views
Is DEET (as in the mosquito repellent), a substituted phenethylamine? [closed]
Am I correct to say that N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide (DEET) is a part of the phenethylamine class? It's structure meets the requirements to be a phenythylamine, however, I was not able to find anywhere ...
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0answers
200 views
Why does the brain produce cannabinoids?
I've been reading lately about the brain producing cannabinoids. I was introduced to this idea by the Wim Hof Method which has been shown to increase the amount of cannabinoids (that is, compounds ...
2
votes
1answer
333 views
Can emulsion test be used to detect phospholipids?
The emulsion test- causes a white cloudy colour when lipid is dissolved in ethanol and then water added.
Can this be used for phospholipids? I am aware that they are polar so may arrange in a ...
4
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2answers
2k views
Text Book Recommendation: Cell & Molecular Biology + Organic Chemistry
I am studying undergraduate biology course and I have cell biology and molecular biology in my next semester. Our college recommends three books : Cooper, Lodish & Bruce Alberts. It would be ...
2
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0answers
79 views
Why did plants evolve to use opioids? [closed]
I'm reading about medicine and specifically opioids. There seems to be a wide variety of forms of these chemicals, I'm curious as to what purpose these serve in these respective plants, and why they ...
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0answers
42 views
What will CD spectroscopy show when L- and D- forms of proteins are mixed?
What will happen if equimolar concentration of L- and D- forms of proteins are mixed and we take the circular dichroism reading? Will the positive and negative ellipticity cancel each other out or ...
2
votes
1answer
175 views
What are some uses of oxidative/reductive power inside cells? [closed]
I know respiration and photosynthesis are based on oxidation and reduction, and the formation of NADH and NADPH in them is very important for many cell processes. I know that NADPH, for example, is ...
4
votes
1answer
785 views
Glycogen vs cellulose-curvature of glycogen molecule?
I was wondering if anyone knows what the degree of curvature is or bond angle between the $\alpha$ glucose molecules in glycogen is. I know that glycogen/amylose/amylopectin have a general curved ...
1
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1answer
59 views
Can the dietary fibres as chemical compounds be regarded as polymers? [closed]
At the level of molecular structure, can the dietary fibres be regarded as polymers?
1
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1answer
77 views
Does mechanotransduction of cells play a role in the biocompatibility of titanium?
What exactly is mechanotransduction as the information varies between sources. Some sources indicate that mechanotransduction is the underlying principle where cells pull on the surface they grow on ...
5
votes
1answer
517 views
What is a lethal dose of THC?
With the oil form of THC being stronger then ever. What would happen if one was to take a stomach full of THC oil?
5
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3answers
98 views
Wax layer destruction from seed coats
I'm working with some orchid species, and i encounter a specific issue. Some of those species deposits upon their seed coat a wax layer. This layer makes seeds behave in a very hydrophobic way. You ...
2
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1answer
55 views
How can I estimate the CO₂ uptake of a plant?
I would like to make an estimation of the CO2 uptake of plants I cultivate, including, lettuce and aromatic herbs, such as thyme, basil, rosemary. What I want is to end up with a rough indicator for ...
3
votes
2answers
568 views
Why are human titin and mice titin considered the same protein?
I have a book that says:
In humans titin is a chain of 34,350 amino acids, but in mice it is even longer with 35,213 amino acids.
If two polypeptides had different amino acid sequence lengths, how ...
4
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2answers
684 views
Blebbistatin effect on vesicles
Blebbistatin is a drug that specifically inhibits the assembly of myosin in the cytoskeleton. What effect would you expect blebbistatin to have on intracellular vesicles?
...
3
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1answer
4k views
Anomalous base pairing of nucleotide tautomers
What tautomers base pair with what bases?
I know that adenine pairs with thymine and guanine pairs with cytosine normally. My question is what does the imino form of adenine base pair with? Regular ...
3
votes
1answer
2k views
Is household ammonia okay for plants?
My father-in-law claims that since plants need nitrogen to produce proteins, and since ammonia is NH3, that Ammonia should be fine for the plants, since it's just nitrogen and water and hydrogen, ...
2
votes
1answer
685 views
How to calculate the Jaccard index [closed]
I want to calculate the Jaccard index between two compounds. What is the algorithm? I have searched for it, it just gives the formula but how to apply it on compounds is not known to me. Can you help?
0
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1answer
96 views
What are these pathways called in Biology?
Considering the pentose phosphate pathway and the sulfate reduction pathway in bacteria;
What are these types of reactions called in biology? Bio degradation reactions or bio transformation reactions ...
0
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1answer
63 views
Factors on which one compound transforming to another compound depend [closed]
Considering the Metabolic Pathway:
http://www.genome.jp/kegg-bin/show_module?M00166
Consider the reaction R01523(the very first reaction). How is it possible to know that the compound C00199(D-...
3
votes
1answer
79 views
Question related to L-arginine biosynthesis
With respect to the L-arginine Biosynthesis pathway, the very first reaction converts L-glutamate to N-acetyl L-glutamate.
In the linked reaction scheme, why are only L-glutamate and N-acetyl ...
2
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1answer
54 views
Question regarding an Escherichia coli reaction
With respect to this link
http://www.biocyc.org/ECOLI/NEW-IMAGE?type=REACTION&object=RXN-14479
Here the enzyme is mentioned and the two reacting compounds. Now , my question is
1. When these ...
4
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2answers
442 views
Do acetyl-CoA, acetyl-CoA carboxylase and acetyl-glutamate carry any charge?
Do the following compounds have any charge? If not, then why? If yes, is there any database that would give me this information if the compound is negatively or positively charged?
The compounds are ...
4
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1answer
3k views
Water soluble molecules
I believe I may have misunderstood water solubility this entire time.
I assumed that water soluble meant that it would literally dissolve in water. It would break down into atoms. A sugar molecule ...
2
votes
0answers
495 views
What is the chemical makeup of mealworm frass?
We have been raising mealworms for some time and while mealworm frass has proven very useful as a plant fertilizer, I started wondering about other potential uses of this leftover waste.
Can someone ...
1
vote
1answer
648 views
How is the rate of transcription influenced by temperature?
How is the rate of transcription influenced by temperature? More precisely, I am looking for an article who quantitatively measured the rate of transcription of an "average gene" and show how this ...
3
votes
1answer
65 views
What are the minimal chemical requirements for a food which we all can eat? [closed]
I've been puzzled by the following though experiment for the past few days:
I want to make my own food from scratch, but I do not know where to start from.
I want to be 100% sure that what I eat will ...
0
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2answers
906 views
How can you explain the origin of life out of nonliving matter (abiogenesis)? [closed]
According to biochemist Robert Shapiro, the "primordial soup" theory is as follows:
Early Earth had a chemically reducing atmosphere.
This atmosphere, exposed to energy in various forms, produced ...
2
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1answer
397 views
Solubility of Forskolin in ethanol
I am interested in using forskolin in cell culture medium. Does anyone know how to make solution of 10 microM forskolin in 5% ethanol or less. I would like to avoid using DMSO as a solvent.
Thank you. ...
5
votes
1answer
16k views
What does the (-) in the molecule name mean?
I'm reading some text (purchase request) that has the following line in it.
(-)-Norepinephrine
What does the minus sign mean in front that is in parenthesis? Is this some kind of standard way of ...
2
votes
1answer
3k views
What is the chemical composition of an egg shell?
It ought to be some combination of C, O, and H, I presume. But really why should I care if eggshell gets in my eggs while I'm cooking?
3
votes
1answer
767 views
What is the effect of flash pasteurisation on Maillard reactions or production of AGEs in milk?
Does flash UHTP homogenision and pasteurisation change significantly the extent of maillard reaction in milk compared with traditional batch pasteurisation? If this is significant does this effect the ...
0
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2answers
324 views
Is Hydrogen gas present in biogas, and does it spontaneously ignite?
Is Hydrogen gas present in biogas? As it is highly inflammable, may it ignite the other gases like methane?
1
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1answer
37 views
cell uptake prediction
I'm generating random molecules I would like to know if they are able to pass through the cell membrane. Are there any ways (preferably computational) to predict cellular uptake of an organic molecule ...
3
votes
1answer
35k views
Melting point of a fatty acid? [closed]
What factors determine the melting point of a fatty acid?
Chain length
The number of methylene group
The ionized state of the fatty acid
Its degree of saponification
Its ability to alter the ...
1
vote
1answer
449 views
Where are doxycycline's anti-inflammatory properties derived from?
I have been looking at this antibiotic called doxycycline which is used mainly as an antibiotic. It has however some interesting anti-inflammatory properties. Does anyone know where these anti-...
3
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1answer
93 views
Glutamine analysis
I use to run a method to analyse all the amino-acids in a food sample. For that I have to hydrololyse the sample and in the last stage of the method I read the amino acids with a ion exchange ...
8
votes
1answer
437 views
What is the maximum potential sucrose concentration of plant sap? What keeps plants below this potential?
I am interested in identifying the maximum potential dissolved sucrose (%w/w) that plant sap could have, and which (biological, physical, chemical) factors constrain the observed sucrose ...
