Question Set 1
                          due date: 8/29  
 Have you ever heard of aspartame?
 It's an artificial sweetener commonly found in diet sodas.   Aspartame is made from two amino acids, aspartic acid and   phenylalanine. 
 a. One of these amino acids is considered an essential                        amino acid. Which one? What does this mean?
 b. What is the R group in aspartic acid? What characteristics
      does this R group confer on aspartic acid?
      Due to these characteristics, how do you propose this amino
      acid will react to other amino acids in a polypeptide chain?  c.  What is the R group in phenylalanine? What characteristics
      does this R group confer on phenylalanine?
      Due to these characteristics, how do you propose this amino
      acid will react to other amino acids in a polypeptide chain? 

semester question series

                                Question Set 4
                          due date:  
 c. The metabolic products of aspartame are believed to be more toxic than the original substance itself. Explain why. Have you ever heard of aspartame?
 

Our semester question series
is designed to encourage you to discover the interconnectedness of many of the topics we will explore this semester. Please research and answer the questions posed and submit your answers at the start of the lab on the due date listed. 

                                Question Set 2
                          due date: 9/12  
  Phenylketonuria (PKU) is a metabolic disorder characterized
  by the deficiency of an enzyme called phenylalanine                 
  hydroxylase.
   a. What is the role of an enzyme?
   b. Does this enzyme play a role in a synthetic or degradative reaction?
   c. What are the products of the enzymatic reaction catalyzed by phenylalanine hydroxylase?
   d. Write out the formula for this enzymatic reaction. 
What , responsible for processing the amino acid phenylalanine. Amino acids are the chemical building blocks of proteins, and are essential for proper growth and development. With normal PAH activity, phenylalanine is converted to another amino acid, tyrosine. However, when PAH is absent or deficient, phenylalanine accumulates and is toxic to the brain. 
​https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8227014/
 Phenylalanine is metabolized