Download Introduction to Biochemistry

INTRODUCTION TO
BIOCHEMISTRY
What’s in our body?
WHAT IS BIOCHEMISTRY?

As the name indicates, biochemistry is a hybrid
science:
Biology is the science of living organisms and
chemistry is the science of atoms and molecules, so
biochemistry is the science of the atoms and molecules
in living organisms.
 Its domain includes the entire living world with the
unifying interest in the chemical structures and
reactions that occur in living systems.
 Where can you find biochemistry? All through science,
medicine, and agriculture.

WAIT, THIS IS A BIOLOGY CLASS…
Yes, but in our body chemical reactions occur all the
time.
 Our cells contain organic molecules which are made up
of elements.

MOST COMMON ELEMENTS IN OUR
BODIES

Most common elements in living things are carbon,
hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen.

These four elements constitute about 95% of your body
weight.
Chemistry of carbon allows the formation of an
enormous variety of organic molecules.
 Organic molecules have carbon and hydrogen;
determine structure and function of living things.
 Inorganic molecules do not contain carbon and
hydrogen together; inorganic molecules (e.g., NaCl) can
play important roles in living things.

ELEMENTS IN LIVING MATTER
Carbon
 Hydrogen
 Oxygen
 Nitrogen
 Phosphorous

HYDROGEN BONDING

A weak attraction
(bond), but are
collectively strong
when many of them
form.


Water
They form and break
much more easily
than covalent or ionic
bonds.
PROPERTIES OF WATER
WATER
Water is the single most abundant compound in most
living things. Cells contain about 70-90% water.
 A water molecule is polar because there is an uneven
distribution of electrons between the oxygen and
hydrogen atoms.

Polar molecules (with +/- charges) are attracted to water
molecules and are hydrophilic.
 Nonpolar molecules are repelled by water and do not
dissolve in water; are hydrophobic.

COHESION
An attraction between molecules of the same
substances. Because of hydrogen bonding, water
is extremely cohesive.
 Water’s cohesion causes molecules of the same
surface of water to be drawn inward, which is
why drops of water form beads on a smooth
surface. Cohesion also explains why some insects
and spiders can walk on a pond’s surface.


Makes water “sticky”.
ADHESION
An attraction between molecules of
different substances.
 Adhesion between water and a glass
cylinder causes water to rise in a
narrow tube against the force of
gravity. This effect is called capillary
action.

CAPILLARY ACTION
Capillary action is the movement of water
with in the spaces of porous material due
to the force of adhesion, cohesion, and
surface tension.
 Examples:

When you clean up water with a napkin. The
liquid adhere to the paper fibers and moves
into the space between and inside of the
fibers.
 Roots obtaining water .

MARCOMOLECULES
BIOMOLECULES
Monomer – one part
Polymer – many parts
HOW ARE BIOMOLECULES MADE?
DEHYDRATION SYNTHESIS
 Also
called “condensation reaction”
 Forms polymers by combining
monomers by “removing water”.
HO
H
HO
H
H2O
HO
H
HOW ARE BIOMOLECULES
SEPARATE?
HYDROLYSIS
Separates
water”
monomers by “adding
HO
H
H2O
HO
H
HO
H
CARBOHYDRATES

An organic compound that
consist of carbon, hydrogen
and oxygen in a 1:2:1 ratio.


Example: C6H12O6
Main types are:
Monosaccharide
 Disaccharides
 Polysaccharide

“Saccharide” means sugars
 Ending in –ose also mean sugar


Function: Cells use glucose as
an short term energy source or
as structural material.
LIPIDS
Fatty, oily or waxy organic compounds that are
insoluble (incapable of being dissolved) in water.
Lipid provide long term energy storage and are the
structural foundation of the cell membrane.
 Structure: Carboxyl group (carbon & oxygen) joined
to a backbone of four to thirty-six carbon atoms.
 Fats are lipids with one, two, or three fatty acid that
dangle like tails from a small alcohol call glycerol.

Triglycerides – fats with 3 tails.
 Phospholipids – We will discuss in the cell membrane.
 Waxes are components which repel water.


Bird’s feathers and plants cuticle.
PROTEINS
An organic compound of one or more amino acid. An
amino acid is a small organic compound with an
amine group, a carboxyl group (the acid), and one or
more atoms called the “R” group.
 Amino acids key elements are carbon, hydrogen,
oxygen, and NITROGEN.
 Protein synthesis involves bonding amino acids into
chains called polypeptides.
 Proteins make up hair, feathers, hooves, nails, etc.
 Enzyme are proteins that speed up a chemical
reaction.


End in –ase.
LEVELS OF PROTEINS
Primary – Amino acid
sequence
 Secondary – Structure
emerges as a chain
twists, bend, loop, and
fold. Becomes 3D
 Tertiary – Occurs in the
ER of the cell. A chain’s
coils will fold and twist
into a stable, functional
domain such as pockets.
 Quaternary – Two or
more polypeptide chains
join to become one.

NUCLEIC ACIDS
Large molecules essential for
all known forms of life. They
include DNA and RNA.
 Nucleotides

Small organic molecules,
various kinds of which function
as energy carries, enzyme
helpers, chemical messengers,
and subunits of DNA and RNA.
 DNA: Deoxyribose sugar, a
base, and a phosphate group.
 RNA: Ribose sugar, a base, and
a phosphate group.

NAME THAT MOLECULE!
VIDEO

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8WJ2KENlK0
&feature=youtu.be