100 ABBREVIATIONS IN BIOCHEMISTRY YOU MUST KNOW
Biochemistry is a field rife with complex terminology and concepts. To navigate this intricate landscape more efficiently, scientists and students alike rely heavily on abbreviations. These shorthand notations not only save time but also serve as a universal language within the scientific community. In this blog post, we’ll explore some of the most crucial abbreviations every biochemistry enthusiast should have in their arsenal.
The following and amongst others are 100 important biochemistry abbreviations and their meanings:
- DNA: Deoxyribonucleic Acid
- RNA: Ribonucleic Acid
- ATP: Adenosine Triphosphate
- ADP: Adenosine Diphosphate
- AMP: Adenosine Monophosphate
- NAD: Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide
- NADH: Reduced form of NAD
- NADP: Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide Phosphate
- NADPH: Reduced form of NADP
- FAD: Flavin Adenine Dinucleotide
- CoA: Coenzyme A
- GTP: Guanosine Triphosphate
- GDP: Guanosine Diphosphate
- GMP: Guanosine Monophosphate
- CTP: Cytidine Triphosphate
- CDP: Cytidine Diphosphate
- CMP: Cytidine Monophosphate
- UTP: Uridine Triphosphate
- UDP: Uridine Diphosphate
- UMP: Uridine Monophosphate
- cAMP: Cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate
- cGMP: Cyclic Guanosine Monophosphate
- ELISA: Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
- PCR: Polymerase Chain Reaction
- SDS-PAGE: Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate-Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis
- HPLC: High-Performance Liquid Chromatography
- NMR: Nuclear Magnetic Resonance
- EPR: Electron Paramagnetic Resonance
- CD: Circular Dichroism
- MS: Mass Spectrometry
- FACS: Fluorescence-Activated Cell Sorting
- FRET: Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer
- FISH: Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization
- ChIP: Chromatin Immunoprecipitation
- RNAi: RNA Interference
- CRISPR: Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats
- EM: Electron Microscopy
- cryo-EM: Cryo-Electron Microscopy
- MALDI: Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization
- TOF: Time of Flight
- ESI: Electrospray Ionization
- FTIR: Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy
- UV-Vis: Ultraviolet-Visible Spectroscopy
- CD: Circular Dichroism
- ORF: Open Reading Frame
- mRNA: Messenger RNA
- tRNA: Transfer RNA
- rRNA: Ribosomal RNA
- snRNA: Small Nuclear RNA
- miRNA: MicroRNA
- siRNA: Small Interfering RNA
- lncRNA: Long Non-Coding RNA
- RISC: RNA-Induced Silencing Complex
- RNase: Ribonuclease
- DNase: Deoxyribonuclease
- RT-PCR: Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction
- qPCR: Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction
- EMSA: Electrophoretic Mobility Shift Assay
- 2D-PAGE: Two-Dimensional Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis
- IEF: Isoelectric Focusing
- MOPS: 3-(N-morpholino)propanesulfonic acid
- HEPES: 4-(2-hydroxyethyl)-1-piperazineethanesulfonic acid
- Tris: Tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane
- EDTA: Ethylenediaminetetraacetic Acid
- EGTA: Ethylene Glycol Tetraacetic Acid
- DTT: Dithiothreitol
- BME: β-Mercaptoethanol
- PMSF: Phenylmethylsulfonyl Fluoride
- BSA: Bovine Serum Albumin
- FBS: Fetal Bovine Serum
- PBS: Phosphate-Buffered Saline
- DMSO: Dimethyl Sulfoxide
- PEG: Polyethylene Glycol
- IPTG: Isopropyl β-D-1-thiogalactopyranoside
- X-gal: 5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl-β-D-galactopyranoside
- ONPG: ortho-Nitrophenyl-β-galactoside
- DAPI: 4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole
- GFP: Green Fluorescent Protein
- RFP: Red Fluorescent Protein
- YFP: Yellow Fluorescent Protein
- CFP: Cyan Fluorescent Protein
- BFP: Blue Fluorescent Protein
- FRAP: Fluorescence Recovery After Photobleaching
- FLIP: Fluorescence Loss In Photobleaching
- TIRF: Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence
- STORM: Stochastic Optical Reconstruction Microscopy
- PALM: Photoactivated Localization Microscopy
- STED: Stimulated Emission Depletion
- AFM: Atomic Force Microscopy
- SPR: Surface Plasmon Resonance
- ITC: Isothermal Titration Calorimetry
- DSC: Differential Scanning Calorimetry
- CD: Circular Dichroism
- LD: Linear Dichroism
- SAXS: Small-Angle X-ray Scattering
- WAXS: Wide-Angle X-ray Scattering
- EXAFS: Extended X-ray Absorption Fine Structure
- XANES: X-ray Absorption Near Edge Structure
- PDB: Protein Data Bank
- BLAST: Basic Local Alignment Search Tool
WHY YOU MUST KNOW THESE ABBREVIATIONS IN BIOCHEMISTRY
DNA and RNA: The Genetic Alphabet
Let’s start with the basics. DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid) and RNA (Ribonucleic Acid) are perhaps the most recognizable abbreviations in biochemistry. These molecules are the foundation of genetic information in all living organisms.
– DNA: The double-helix structure that carries genetic instructions for the development, functioning, growth, and reproduction of all known organisms.
– RNA: A single-stranded nucleic acid that plays various roles in coding, decoding, regulation, and expression of genes.
ATP: The Energy Currency
ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate) is often referred to as the “energy currency” of the cell. This high-energy molecule is essential for numerous cellular processes, including:
– Muscle contraction
– Nerve impulse propagation
– Chemical synthesis
Understanding ATP is crucial for grasping concepts related to cellular metabolism and energy transfer.
Amino Acids: The Building Blocks of Proteins
Amino acids are the fundamental units of proteins. There are 20 standard amino acids, each with its own three-letter and one-letter abbreviation. Some common examples include:
– Ala (A): Alanine
– Cys (C): Cysteine
– Asp (D): Aspartic Acid
– Glu (E): Glutamic Acid
– Phe (F): Phenylalanine
Memorizing these abbreviations is essential for anyone working with protein structures or sequences.
NADH and FADH2: Electron Carriers
These coenzymes play a vital role in cellular respiration:
– NADH (Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide): A key electron carrier in metabolic reactions.
– FADH2 (Flavin Adenine Dinucleotide): Another important electron carrier, particularly in the citric acid cycle.
Enzymes and Kinetics
Enzymes are the catalysts of biochemical reactions, and understanding their abbreviations is key to grasping metabolic pathways.
– EC: Enzyme Commission number, a numerical classification scheme for enzymes
– Km: Michaelis constant, representing the substrate concentration at which the reaction rate is half of Vmax
– Vmax: Maximum reaction velocity, the rate of the enzyme reaction at saturating substrate concentration
– kcat: Turnover number, the maximum number of substrate molecules converted to product per enzyme molecule per second
Metabolic Pathways
Familiarity with these abbreviations will help you navigate through complex metabolic charts:
– TCA: Tricarboxylic Acid cycle (also known as the Krebs cycle or citric acid cycle)
– ETC: Electron Transport Chain
– PPP: Pentose Phosphate Pathway
– HMP: Hexose Monophosphate Pathway (another name for PPP)
– FA: Fatty Acid
Molecular Biology Techniques
These abbreviations are essential for understanding research methodologies:
– PCR: Polymerase Chain Reaction
– ELISA: Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
– SDS-PAGE: Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate-Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis
– HPLC: High-Performance Liquid Chromatography
– NMR: Nuclear Magnetic Resonance
Biomolecules and Their Building Blocks
– aa: Amino Acid
– nt: Nucleotide
– bp: Base Pair
– Da: Dalton (unit of molecular mass)
– kDa: Kilodalton
Cell Biology Terms
– ER: Endoplasmic Reticulum
– GA: Golgi Apparatus
– PM: Plasma Membrane
– ECM: Extracellular Matrix
Biochemical Processes
– PTM: Post-Translational Modification
– TF: Transcription Factor
– ROS: Reactive Oxygen Species
– CAM: Cell Adhesion Molecule
Units and Measurements
– M: Molar (moles per liter)
– mM: Millimolar
– µM: Micromolar
– nM: Nanomolar
– pM: Picomolar
Understanding these abbreviations will significantly enhance your ability to read and interpret biochemical literature, research papers, and metabolic pathways. Remember, biochemistry is a vast field, and these abbreviations represent just a fraction of the terminology you’ll encounter. As you delve deeper into specific areas of biochemistry, you’ll naturally acquire more specialized abbreviations relevant to your focus.
Mastering these abbreviations not only streamlines your learning process but also enables more effective communication within the scientific community. Whether you’re a student, researcher, or simply an enthusiast, having this biochemical shorthand at your fingertips will prove invaluable in your biochemistry journey.