C2 · 50 words
Biochemistry in Spanish
Proteins, enzymes and pathways — the chemistry that happens in water at body temperature.
English needs two words where Spanish keeps one. La señalización on this page is signalling: a message passed from the outside of a cell to the inside, la señalización celular. The same Spanish word is what a council puts up on a road — la señalización vial, una señalización deficiente — and that is « signage », a word no biologist uses. Both come from la señal, the sign or the signal, which English also splits in two. One Spanish family, three English words, and only the context to tell them apart.
The words
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Phrase (39)
el aminoácido esencialthe building block a body cannot make and has to eatPhraseC2
El aminoácido esencial ha de venir con la dieta.The essential amino acid has to come with the diet.
el enlace peptídicothe join between two amino acids, flat and stiffPhraseC2
El enlace peptídico es plano y rígido.The peptide bond is flat and rigid.
la estructura primariathe order the amino acids come inPhraseC2
La estructura primaria es la secuencia de aminoácidos.The primary structure is the sequence of amino acids.
la hélice alfathe coil held together by hydrogen bondsPhraseC2
La hélice alfa se sostiene con puentes de hidrógeno.The alpha helix is held by hydrogen bonds.
la lámina betathe flat form that lines neighbouring strands up side by sidePhraseC2
La lámina beta alinea cadenas vecinas.The beta sheet lines up neighbouring chains.
el plegamiento proteicothe folding, on which the whole function dependsPhraseC2
El plegamiento proteico decide la función.Protein folding decides the function.
la estructura cuaternariathe assembly of several finished chains into one working unitPhraseC2
La estructura cuaternaria reúne cuatro subunidades.The quaternary structure brings four subunits together.
el sitio activothe pocket that recognises one shape and no otherPhraseC2
El sitio activo reconoce solo una forma.The active site recognises only one shape.
la especificidad enzimáticathe fussiness that tells two mirror images apartPhraseC2
La especificidad enzimática distingue dos enantiómeros.Enzyme specificity distinguishes two enantiomers.
la constante de Michaelisthe concentration at which the enzyme runs at half speedPhraseC2
La constante de Michaelis mide la afinidad aparente.The Michaelis constant measures the apparent affinity.
la velocidad máxima de la enzimathe rate it cannot exceed however much substrate there isPhraseC2
La velocidad máxima de la enzima se alcanza en saturación.The maximum rate of the enzyme is reached at saturation.
el inhibidor competitivothe blocker that sits in the pocket itselfPhraseC2
El inhibidor competitivo ocupa el mismo sitio.The competitive inhibitor occupies the same site.
el inhibidor alostéricothe blocker that binds somewhere else and works all the samePhraseC2
El inhibidor alostérico se une lejos del sitio activo.The allosteric inhibitor binds away from the active site.
la regulación alostéricathe control that works by changing the protein's shapePhraseC2
La regulación alostérica cambia la forma de la proteína.Allosteric regulation changes the shape of the protein.
el grupo prostéticothe piece that stays bound for goodPhraseC2
El grupo prostético queda unido de forma permanente.The prosthetic group stays bound permanently.
el ciclo del ácido cítricothe round of reactions that runs inside the mitochondrionPhraseC2
El ciclo del ácido cítrico ocurre en la mitocondria.The citric acid cycle happens in the mitochondrion.
la cadena respiratoriathe run of carriers that pumps protons across a membranePhraseC2
La cadena respiratoria bombea protones al espacio intermembrana.The respiratory chain pumps protons into the intermembrane space.
el gradiente de protonesthe difference in protons that pays for the energy currencyPhraseC2
El gradiente de protones alimenta la síntesis del atepé.The proton gradient feeds the synthesis of ATP.
la fosforilación oxidativathe making of that currency on the back of the gradientPhraseC2
La fosforilación oxidativa produce la mayor parte de la energía.Oxidative phosphorylation produces most of the energy.
la beta oxidaciónthe trimming of a fat two carbons at a timePhraseC2
La beta oxidación corta la grasa de dos en dos carbonos.Beta oxidation cuts the fat two carbons at a time.
la ruta metabólicathe sequence of steps, regulated at the first of themPhraseC2
La ruta metabólica se regula en su primer paso.The metabolic pathway is regulated at its first step.
el paso limitantethe slowest step, which sets the pace for all the restPhraseC2
El paso limitante fija el ritmo de todo el conjunto.The limiting step sets the pace of the whole.
el metabolismo anabólicothe metabolism that builds and costs energyPhraseC2
El metabolismo anabólico consume energía.Anabolic metabolism consumes energy.
el metabolismo catabólicothe metabolism that breaks down and releases itPhraseC2
El metabolismo catabólico libera energía.Catabolic metabolism releases energy.
el transporte activo de membranathe carrying across a membrane against the slopePhraseC2
El transporte activo de membrana va contra el gradiente.Active membrane transport goes against the gradient.
la difusión facilitadathe carrying down the slope, which still needs a proteinPhraseC2
La difusión facilitada necesita una proteína canal.Facilitated diffusion needs a channel protein.
el potencial de membranathe voltage across a membrane, around seventy millivoltsPhraseC2
El potencial de membrana ronda los setenta milivoltios.The membrane potential is around seventy millivolts.
la bicapa lipídicathe double sheet that closes on itself in waterPhraseC2
La bicapa lipídica se cierra sola en agua.The lipid bilayer closes on itself in water.
el ácido graso insaturadothe fatty acid with a kink in its chainPhraseC2
El ácido graso insaturado dobla la cadena.The unsaturated fatty acid bends the chain.
el polisacárido de reservathe store of sugar that is drawn on while fastingPhraseC2
El polisacárido de reserva se moviliza en ayunas.The storage polysaccharide is mobilised while fasting.
el tampón fisiológicothe pair of substances that holds the blood at its pHPhraseC2
El tampón fisiológico mantiene el pH de la sangre.The physiological buffer holds the pH of the blood.
la homeostasis metabólicathe steady state that is corrected within minutesPhraseC2
La homeostasis metabólica se corrige en minutos.Metabolic homeostasis is corrected within minutes.
el estrés oxidativothe damage done by oxygen that got out of handPhraseC2
El estrés oxidativo daña el ácido nucleico.Oxidative stress damages the nucleic acid.
el radical librethe molecule left with one electron unpairedPhraseC2
El radical libre tiene un electrón desapareado.The free radical has an unpaired electron.
la señalización celularthe passing of a message inward, louder at every stepPhraseC2
La señalización celular amplifica la señal en cada paso.Cell signalling amplifies the signal at every step.
el segundo mensajerothe small molecule that spreads the message through the cellPhraseC2
El segundo mensajero difunde por el citoplasma.The second messenger diffuses through the cytoplasm.
la cascada de fosforilaciónthe chain of enzymes each switching on the nextPhraseC2
La cascada de fosforilación activa tres quinasas seguidas.The phosphorylation cascade activates three kinases in a row.
la proteólisis reguladathe taking apart of a protein on purposePhraseC2
La proteólisis regulada retira la proteína cuando sobra.Regulated proteolysis removes the protein when it is in excess.
el marcaje con ubiquitinathe tag that sends a protein to be destroyedPhraseC2
El marcaje con ubiquitina envía la proteína al proteasoma.Ubiquitin tagging sends the protein to the proteasome.
Noun (f) (9)
la bioquímicathe account of life given in moleculesNoun (f)C2
La bioquímica explica la vida en términos de moléculas.Biochemistry explains life in terms of molecules.
la chaperonathe helper that keeps a new chain from clumpingNoun (f)C2
La chaperona evita que la cadena se agregue.The chaperone keeps the chain from aggregating.
la desnaturalizaciónthe loss of shape that leaves the chain itself uncutNoun (f)C2
La desnaturalización destruye la forma sin cortar la cadena.Denaturation destroys the shape without cutting the chain.
la enzimathe catalyst that speeds a reaction without being used upNoun (f)C2
La enzima acelera la reacción sin gastarse.The enzyme speeds the reaction without being consumed.
la cooperatividadthe effect by which one binding makes the next one easierNoun (f)C2
La cooperatividad de la hemoglobina da la curva sigmoidea.The cooperativity of haemoglobin gives the sigmoid curve.
la coenzimathe small molecule that carries groups between reactionsNoun (f)C2
La coenzima transporta grupos entre reacciones.The coenzyme carries groups between reactions.
la glucólisisthe splitting of glucose into twoNoun (f)C2
La glucólisis parte la glucosa en dos.Glycolysis splits glucose in two.
la gluconeogénesisthe building of glucose back up out of smaller piecesNoun (f)C2
La gluconeogénesis fabrica glucosa a partir de precursores.Gluconeogenesis makes glucose from precursors.
la retroinhibiciónthe braking of a pathway by its own end productNoun (f)C2
La retroinhibición frena la ruta cuando sobra producto.Feedback inhibition slows the pathway when product is in excess.
Noun (m) (2)
el cofactorthe extra piece an enzyme needs, sometimes a metal ionNoun (m)C2
El cofactor puede ser un ion metálico.The cofactor may be a metal ion.
el fosfolípidothe molecule with a polar head and two tailsNoun (m)C2
El fosfolípido tiene una cabeza polar y dos colas.The phospholipid has a polar head and two tails.
This list belongs to Nature and natural sciences — 31 lists and 1550 words that can also be practised as a whole.
Practise this list
From these 50 words, as many per round as you like — up to all of them: first what is due today, then new ones. First you choose, then you fill the gap, then you write it yourself. Mistakes come back again shortly.