Is climate change real? Yes, it is! And technologies to reduce Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions are being developed. One type of technology that is imperative in the short run is biofuels; however, biofuels must meet specifications for gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel, or catastrophic damage could occur. This course will examine the chemistry of technologies of bio-based sources for power generation and transportation fuels. We'll consider various biomasses that can be utilized for fuel generation, understand the processes necessary for biomass processing, explore biorefining, and analyze how biofuels can be used in current fuel infrastructure.

Biology is designed for multi-semester biology courses for science majors. It is grounded on an evolutionary basis and includes exciting features that highlight careers in the biological sciences and everyday applications of the concepts at hand. To meet the needs of today’s instructors and students, some content has been strategically condensed while maintaining the overall scope and coverage of traditional texts for this course. Instructors can customize the book, adapting it to the approach that works best in their classroom. Biology also includes an innovative art program that incorporates critical thinking and clicker questions to help students understand—and apply—key concepts.

By the end of this section, you will be able to:Discuss the importance of electrons in the transfer of energy in living systemsExplain how ATP is used by the cell as an energy source

By the end of this section, you will be able to:Discuss the importance of electrons in the transfer of energy in living systemsExplain how ATP is used by the cell as an energy source

By the end of this section, you will be able to:Understand the synthesis of macromoleculesExplain dehydration (or condensation) and hydrolysis reactions

By the end of this section, you will be able to:Understand the synthesis of macromoleculesExplain dehydration (or condensation) and hydrolysis reactions

Despite the diverse appearance and characteristics of organisms on Earth, the chemicals that make up living things are remarkably similar, often identical. In this episode of Crash Course Biology, we’ll look at the building blocks of the four major classes of biomolecules, how those join up to form macromolecules, and how a team of six atoms forms the vast majority of living matter.

Chapters:
Introduction to Life’s Molecules
Chemical Bonds
The Major Biological Molecules
Polymerization
Hydrolysis
Review & Credits
Credits

How hydrolysis can break down polysaccharides (carbohydrates) like starch, cellulose, chitin and glycogen.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"In nerve cells, the waxy molecule ceramide plays roles in both cellular differentiation and death, but a new study shows those roles could vary based on how ceramide is formed. Ceramide is generated via 3 pathways: newly from palmitoyl-CoA and serine, from the breakdown of sphingomyelin, and through the endosomal salvage pathway. Experiments showed that blocking ceramide synthesis did not alter ceramide levels in PC12 cells, which require nerve growth factor (NGF) to survive and differentiate, but blocking synthesis did decrease ceramide levels in TrkA cells, which differentiate spontaneously. Blocking sphingomyelin breakdown, however, inhibited differentiation and reduced ceramide in both cell lines. Without NGF, PC12 cells begin to atrophy and die, and preventing sphingomyelin breakdown did not protect them, but it did suppress rising ceramide levels to some degree versus controls..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.