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Biochem, Embalming Chem, Decomposition

Terms in this set (156)

Most living matter is made up of
Hydrogen, Oxygen, Nitrogen, Carbon
4 major macromolecules
carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, nucleic acids
Water has what type of bond?
polar covalent
Water forms
hydrogen bonds
Water is how much of body mass
60%
Water is amphoteric
can act as an acid or a base
What does water do in our bodies
protects joints and spinal cord, digestive process, excrete waste
Hydrolysis
Breaking down complex molecules by the chemical addition of water (forms new products)
degradation of proteins
leads to the formation of amino acids
Carbohydrates
compound made up of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen that is an aldehyde or ketone derivative of polyhydroxyl alcohol
How are carbohydrates created
photosynthesis
Formula for carbohydrates
CH2O
Aldose Carbohydrate
aldehyde functional group
Ketose Carbohydrate
ketose functional group
Monosaccharides
simple sugars with 3-9 carbons
Oligiosaccharides
long chain of 2-10 monosaccharides linked together
Disaccharide
a type of oligosaccharide with 2 monosaccharides
Polysaccharides
10+ monosaccharides linked together
How do polysaccharides store energy
in the form of glycogen
Examples of monosaccharides
ribose, deoxyribose, glucose
examples of disaccharides
maltose, lactose, sucrose
Lipid
naturally occurring molecules that include fats, waxes, sterols, and phospholipids
Lipids are
open chains of carbons
Examples of lipids
fats, steroids, glycerides, phospholipids, hormones
Lipids are Amphiphilic
attracted to both water and fat (hydrophilic and lipophilic)
Lipids function
store energy, neurotransmitters, cell membranes
Simple Lipids
produce a fatty acid and an alcohol in hydrolysis reactions
Complex Lipids
have multiple functional groups
Sterols
lipids with a steroid backbone
Fats and Oils are
triglycerides
Triglycerides are
triglycerol plus 3 fatty acids
Wax
a type of lipid formed from the combination of unsaturated and/or saturated fatty acids and high molecular weight alcohols
Was are
esters of fatty acids
Examples of Waxes
beeswax, carnauba, lanolin.
Standard Lipids
fats, oils, waxes
Complex/Compund Lipids
Phospholipids
Sphingolipids
Glycolipids
Phosopholipids
found in cell membranes
Sphingolipids
found in the brain and play a role in transmission and cell recognition
Glycolipids
lipids with a carb attached that provide energy
Sterols
cholesterol
Cholesterol
precursor for many beneficial compounds
Steriods
some hormones
Saponification
the hydrolysis of a fat and a s strong base to produce glycerol and the salt of a fatty acid
Resulting products of saponification
trihydroxy glycerol and fatty acid
saponification fats sometime referred to
as soaps
How do body fats decompose
saponification
what does saponification require
moisture and bactericidal activity
Adipocere (Grave Wax)
a wax-like material produced by saponification of body fat in a body buried in alkaline soil
Adipocere (Grave Wax) occurs when
a body is submerged in water or in a moist grave
enzyme
protein that acts as a biological catalyst
what drives metabolic processes
enzymes
Without enzymes
reactions would not happen fast enough to sustain life
activity of enzymes is influenced by
temperature and hydrogen ion concentrations
Catabolism
breaking down process
anabolism
building up process of proteins, carbs, lipids, and nucleic acids
Catabolism produces
precursor molecules
Proteins building blocks
amino acids
Polysaccharides broken into
simple sugars
Fats break down into
fatty acids and glycerol
Most common source of energy
glucose
Large polymeric compounds in food are broken down
by enzymes into monomer subunits
Substrate
the material upon which an enzyme acts
Ezyme inhibitors
a molecule that binds to an enzyme and stops its activity
Autolysis
self-destruction of cells; decomposition of all tissues by enzymes
amino acids
building blocks of proteins that contain an amino group and a carboxyl group
How many amino acids are needed to sustain human life
20
nonessential amino acids
can be made by our bodies
essential amino acids
come from our diet
amino acids are
amphoteric
second to water in their contribution to human muscles, cells, and other tissues
amino acids
amino acid formation
proteins from food are broke down into smaller protein chains until they are small enough to enter our blood stream
buffer
a substance capable of painting a constant pH by neutralizing acids and bases
Carboxyl group serves as
the acid
Amino acid serves as
conjugate base
Peptide
a compound consisting of two or more amino acids linked in a chain
Dipeptide
two amino acids
tripeptide
three amino acids
Polypeptide
long, continuous unbranded peptide chain
Protein is made up of
50+ amino acids
Nucleobases
nitrogenous base
Two subcategories of nucleobases
Purines and Pyrimdines
Purines
Adenine and Guanine
Pyrimidines
cytosine, thymine, uracil
nucleobases are
building blocks of DNA and RNA when linked to a sugar
How do nucleobases form
hydrogen bonding
Protein
a biological component that is a polymer of many amino acids
fibrous proteins
skin, muscle fibers, organs
globular proteins
transport and act as biological catalysts (enzymes)
protein functions
enzymes, hormones, muscle fibers, antibodies, cell responses, storage, skin and bone, transportation
peptide bond
a bond formed from a dehydration reaction between the amino group on one amino acid with the carboxyl (organic acid) group on the other amino acid.
How do amino acids link together
peptide bonds
properties of proteins
inhibition, coagulation, hydrolysis
imhibition
the swelling and softening of tissues and organs as a result of absorbing moist of adjacent sources
coagulation
the process of converting soluble protein to insoluble protein by physical or chemical means
Hydrolysis is
a chemical reaction in which a substance is broken down or disassociated by water
Denaturation
the disruption and breakdown of a protein by heat or chemicals
putrefaction
decomposition of proteins by the action of enzymes from anaerobic bacteria
Denaturation can be caused by
external force, extreme heat, harsh acid or base, organic compound
Denaturation can cause
proteins to lose their solubility
Muscle and organ cells live for
several hours
skin and bone cells live for
several days
Protein breakdown
causes nitrogenous waste and changes in pH
First substance to decompose
Carbohydrates
Carbs decompose into _____ in aerobic environments
sugars
Carbs decompose into ______ in anaerobic environments
lactic acid, butyric acid, acetic acid
What is responsible for protein decomposition?
putrefactive process, hydrolysis, saprophytic bacteria
Decarboxylation
A process that removes a carboxylic acid group from amino acids
Deamination
process that removes the amino group from amino acids
tissues containing a lot _______ decompose first
enzymes
harder proteins
decompose more slowly
What protein is the most resistant to decomposition?
Keratin
Putrefaction leads to
phenolic products, methane gas, ammonia, thiols, pyretic acid, sulfides, hydrogen sulfide gas
Hydrolysis creates
polypeptides, amino acids, polymers
Decarboxylation creates
cadaverine and putrescine
Deamination creates
ammonia
ptomaine
a group of nitrogen based compounds with an unpleasant odor associated with decomposition or organic tissues
putrescine
A nitrogen based unpleasant smelling compound produced by the decomposition of organic material
cadaverine
An unpleasant smelling, nitrogen based, compound produced by the decomposition of organic material.
main component of amino acids and proteins
nitrogen
decomposition results in _______in the body
excess nitrogen
discoloration and odors of decomposition are associated with
nitrogen
Nitrogen-based compounds
create alkalinity in the body
adipose tissue makes up a large portion of
lipids in the human body
Phosopholipids break down
into phosphates and fatty acids
Sterols break down into compounds like
aldehydes, ketones, and other organic compounds that eventually break down into carbon dioxide and water
Aerobic degradation
produces aldehydes and ketones and eventually carbon dioxide and water
Anaerobic degradation
produces carbon dioxide and water and adipocere
under very alkaline conditions, what will happen to lipids
body fat is saponified (turns into wax-like soap)
decay
the gradual decomposition of dead organic matter by the enzymes of aerobic bacteria
Fermantation
the microbial decomposition of carbohydrates under anaerobic conditions
What do preservative chemicals do first?
inactivate the chemical groups of proteins
What do preservative chemicals do second?
inhibit further decomposition
What do preservative chemicals do third?
inactivate enzymes
What do preservative chemicals do fourth?
kill microorganisms
What do preservative chemicals do fifth?
destroy odors and eliminate further decomposition
methylene bridge
one carbon unit feature that forms between two nitrogen atoms in two proteins and formaldehyde
What property hardens tissues?
methylene bridge
what does the methylene bride do
cross-links proteins and takes away a nutrient source for bacteria
What is the methylene bride based on?
Aldehyde's ability to react with nitrogen in proteins
What is a product of the methylene bridge
water
The methylene bride also
kills bacteria as it works on their proteins as well
Results of Methylene bride
dehydration, firmest of tissue, preservation
formaldyhyde can
link at several sites along a protein chain
Urotropin
the neutralization product of formaldehyde and ammonia
urotropin increases
preservative demand
preservative demand
the amount of preservative necessary to properly embalm human remains
Urotropin is especially present in
certain pathologies and extreme decomposition
By-Product of Decompostion
free ammonia / nitrogenous waste
How do alcohols function
by denaturing proteins
Efficiency of alcohol increases with
water
How do water increase alcohol efficiency
increases the ability to penetrate cell membranes
Phenols are able to
penetrate lipid membranes that protect bacteria
minimum lethal does
the smallest dose of a poison that produces death
Poison
a substance that causes illness, injury or death to an organism
Oil
a combination of unsaturated fatty acids and glycerol that is a liquid at room temperature
Oxide
a compound consisting of oxygen combined with only one other element
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