CHEM 1A Chapter Notes - Chapter 21: Thymine, Glycogen, Phospholipid
Document Summary
Diabetes and the synthesis of human insulin (p. 1001) Dna replication, the double helix, and protein synthesis (p. 1022) Key concepts: diabetes and the synthesis of human insulin (21. 1) Diabetes is a chronic illness that occurs when the pancreas cannot make enough insulin, a protein that promotes the absorption of glucose into cells. The chemical structure of insulin was discovered in 1955 by frederick sanger, who made it possible for insulin to be synthesized in the laboratory. Eventually, scientists inserted the human gene that codes for the production of insulin into bacteria, which were then able to produce enough insulin to supply diabetics. This example demonstrates the usefulness of biochemistry, the study of the chemicals that compose living organisms: lipids (21. 2) Lipids are biological chemicals that are nonpolar and, therefore, insoluble in water. In our bodies, they compose cell membranes, store energy, and provide insulation.
