Biochemical Reactions

• What is an acid?

  a substance that produces H+ ions when dissolved (pH less than 7)
• What is a base?

  A substance that produces OH- ions (pH greater than 7)
• what is the purpose of the pH scale?

  to determine the concentration of H+ ions in a substance

  
• What are neutralization reactions?

  reaction between an acid and a base, which produces water and an ionic compound

  
• What happens during a neutralization reaction?

  Acids lose their acidic properties and bases lose their basic properties
• Why can chemical reactions in the body only take place in a small pH range?

  because any pH beyond that range can result in illness
• What is alkalosis?

  when blood pH is 7.5, making you feel dizzy and agitated
• What is acidosis?

  when blood pH is 7.1-7.3, making you feel fatigued and disoriented
• What happens when the blood's pH is less than 7 or more than 7.8?

  it becomes fatal
• What is a buffer?

  a substance that minimizes changes in pH by donating or accepting H+ ions
• What is oxidation?


  process involving loss of electrons

  
• What is reduction?


  process involving the gain of electrons

  
• What is a redox reaction?


  a reaction that involves the transfer of electrons from one substance to another

  
• How does the process of glucose oxidation work?

  it happens through a series of redox reactions, and the energy released is stored in bonds of molecules produces in different stages

  
• Why are there discrete steps in glucose oxidation?

  allows energy to be used instead of lost or resulting in cell damage
• What is dehydration?

  a reaction that results in the formation a covalent bond between two molecules and production of a water molecule

  
• What is hydrolysis?

  a reaction resulting in a bond breakage with a water molecule