Concept explainers
Interpretation:
The reason behind the less dangerous effect of taking large quantities of valium than taking large quantities of phenobarbital.
Concept introduction:
A target site is the site to which the target molecule binds. The target molecule can be a hormone or a neurotransmitter. The target molecule discussed here is the GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid), which is an inhibitory neurotransmitter.
Phenobarbital and valium are depressants of the central nervous system. Phenobarbital is an orthosteric drug that binds to the target site of the receptor. Valium is a derivative of the chemical compound called benzodiazepine, and is an allosteric drug. An allosteric drug binds at the allosteric site of the receptor, which is other than the active site, whereas phenobarbital binds to the target site.
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Chapter 7 Solutions
Biochemistry
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- REFLECT AND APPLY Why is it useful to plot rate data for enzymatic reactions as a straight line rather than as a curve?arrow_forwardREFLECT AND APPLY Why is it better, when running a marathon, to drink a beverage with sugar for energy rather than one with amino acids?arrow_forwardREFLECT AND APPLY Other things being equal, what is a potential disadvantage of an enzyme having a very high affinity for its substrate?arrow_forward
- REFLECT AND APPLY Chemotherapy patients receiving cytotoxic (cell-killing) agents such as FdUMP (the UMP analogue that contains fluorouracil) and methotrexate temporarily go bald. Why does this take place?arrow_forwardREFLECT AND APPLY Consider the structures of arabinose and ribose. Explain why nucleotide derivatives of arabinose, such as ara-C and ara-A, are effective metabolic poisons.arrow_forwardREFLECT AND APPLY The enzyme D-amino acid oxidase has a very high turnover number because the D-amino acids are potentially toxic. The KM for the enzyme is in the range of 1 to 2 mM for the aromatic amino acids and in the range of 15 to 20 mM for such amino acids as serine, alanine, and the acidic amino acids. Which of these amino acids are the preferred substrates for the enzyme?arrow_forward
- BiochemistryBiochemistryISBN:9781305961135Author:Mary K. Campbell, Shawn O. Farrell, Owen M. McDougalPublisher:Cengage Learning