What knowledge have you connected with past knowledge?

Thus far this course has proved to be quite interesting. I have seen many connections with topics I have learned about in past classes including general chemistry, biology and even a smattering of psychology. I almost feel as though this class is letting me in on all the secrets that other classes have kept from me. Perhaps the best example of this is in to regards enzymes and their structure. More specifically, past courses have always espoused the four types of structural components ranging from primary to quaternary structure. What struck me as odd was that up until this semester I was not aware that secondary structure encompassed more than alpha helices and beta pleated sheets. I was unaware of the existence of beta bulges or supersecondary structures such as motifs. Additionally, I have always been taught that the enzyme substrate complex is a model much akin to a lock and a key. It wasn’t until this class that I was introduced to the induced fit model wherein the binding of a substrate to an enzyme at the active site initiates a change in the active site such that there is tight bonding. I find the induced fit model much more interesting and plausible.

Further, since the beginning of the semester this class has made me stop and assess what is in everything from the food that I eat, to the medicine that I take. In one particular instance I took some Sudafed for a head cold and was surprised that the warning on the side of the box said not to take with monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs). I was slightly intrigued as my introductory psychology class had taught me that MAOIs were used to treat depression. I didn’t see the connection between cold medicines like Sudafed and MAOIs until I took this course. In this course I learned that MAOIs allow for greater levels of tryptophan and tyrosine which are the precursors of several important neurotransmitters including epinephrine, serotonin and dopamine. It is these neurotransmitters which help one to moderate mood and act as antidepressants. The drawback however to MAOIs is that the increased presence of tryptophan and tyrosine in the blood can interact with certain foods or medicine such as Sudafed to induce dangerously high blood pressure that is aptly described as hypertensive crisis. Hypertensive crisis symptoms include high blood pressure, severe headache, anxiety and even shortness of breath. Needless to say I was shocked to discover that taking a medicine as common as Sudafed along with an MAOI could have such extreme ramifications.

As is evident, this course has undoubtedly given me some new insights into everything from enzyme structure and function to fatal drug interactions. While this course is almost half over I look forward to uncovering more connections between course materials and my past learning experiences.