Download Biochemistry - Donald Edward Winslow

Fundamentals of Biochemistry
Donald Winslow
St. Gregory's University
21 January 2014
Biochemistry
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Chemistry of carbon
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Organic compounds
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Monomers & polymers
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Types of organic molecules in cells
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Diversity of shapes
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Hydrolysis and dehydration synthesis
Chemistry of carbon
Methane (CH4)
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Organic compounds
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An organic compound is a compound
containing carbon.
Don't confuse with “organic” in “organic
agriculture”.
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Pesticides are organic compounds
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“Organic” means no synthetic pesticides
Monomers and polymers
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What is a monomer?
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What is a polymer?
Monomers and polymers
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What is a monomer?
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A small, unitary molecule
What is a polymer?
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Alanine, an amino acid
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A large molecule built of monomers
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Often a chain of monomers
Glycine and alanine can form a
peptide bond, resulting in a
dipeptide molecule. Many amino
acids can link together to form a
polypeptide, which can fold into a
protein.
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What are the four main categories of
organic compounds found in cells?
What are the four main categories of
organic compounds found in cells?
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Lipids
Carbohydrates
Amino acids & proteins
Nucleic acids
Diversity of molecular shapes
Transfer RNA
Hydrolysis & dehydration synthesis
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Hydrolysis
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Splits polymer into smaller molecules, using a
water molecule.
Dehydration synthesis
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Builds polymer from two smaller molecules,
releasing water.