What are three major themes you would id that connect the various topics discussed in this course?

I would consider the three major themes of the course differences between eukaryotes and prokaryotes, nucleotides and amino acids, and carbohydrates. In almost every topic that we have covered, the difference between eukaryotes and prokaryotes has been discussed. That has ranged from the basic cellular organelles and duties to differences in transcription and translation. Amino acids have been another common denominator in many of the topics that we have covered, including the structure and chemical composition of amino acids and we then broken down into peptides and even nucleotides, which were then discussed in relation to protein synthesis, transcription, and translation. Lastly, in addition to amino acids frequently arising in lecture and reading, the theme of carbohydrates was prevalent. Carbohydrates ranged from basic structure and function (in association with energy) and break down into starches and sugars, including monosaccarides, disaccharides, and polysaccharides. And into further depth with glycolysis, gluconeogenesis, citric acid cycle, and electron transport.
I had some baseline knowledge of each of these topics from previous biology classes, but did not have a chemistry background. It made a difference to combine chemistry with biology to have a complete biochemical understanding of the topics, especially with amino acids, both when they are combined to create proteins and broken down into peptides and nucleotides. With each of these three main themes my knowledge has of course grown, but I think the largest difference is my understanding of the topics, for example of the breakdown of glucose into ATP from glycolysis to electron transport. I have understood each step of each process and why the step has occurred and which enzyme has been responsible for that step and why it has occurred where it did. I feel that only when I understand a topic or theme did I truly learn it.

How would you explain the connection between glucose entering the body and energy created by the body to a friend, using your new biochem knowledge

I would use my biochemistry knowledge to explain that for every molecule of glucose, 30 ATP are produced, which is what our bodies uses as energy. A molecule of glucose is transition to ATP with glycolysis. First 2 ATP are “invested” into the process and through 10 steps, a net of 2 ATP are produced, as well as 2 NADHs. The product of glycolysis in addition to the ATP is pyruvate. The pyruvate is next converted to Acetyl CoA (with 2 NADH as byproduct) in the inner mitochondrial matrix and once that has occur, the citric acid cycle occurs in the mitochondrial matrix and through 8 steps 2 FADH2 and 6 NADH are produced, as well as 2 ATP. The NADH and FADH2 that were produced from glycolysis, inner mitochondrial matrix, and the citric acid cycle are reoxidized into 26 ATP during electron transport and oxidative phosphorylation.

What knowledge have you connected with past knowledge?

It is amazing how quickly information can be remembered after a simple refresher. Before I began reading the chapters on turning glucose into ATP and glycogen into glucose, I tried to remember how and where it happened in the body, or what it was called and I could not put two and two together. After I saw the word glycolysis and citric acid cycle it all came flooding back. I remember the citric acid cycle being referred to as the Krebs cycle though, but it has been a while. This time around, learning and refreshing my memory there is a lot more detail. Such as knowing what happens step by step in each of the processes of glycolysis, Citric acid cycle, electron transport, including what is necessary prior to the process for it to actually occur. For example, before the citric acid cycle, the two pyruvate molecules have to be converted into acetyl CoA or else the citric acid cycle can not occur. Although there has been a lot more information to learn this time around, it has been easier to learn with base knowledge compared to some of the other topics.