Scribd
Upload
137 views19 pages

Biochemistry I Introduction

This document provides an introduction to the course Biochemistry. It outlines the course objectives which include understanding biomolecules like proteins, nucleic acids and lipids. It describes the basic units of life like cells, and key biomolecules and elements important for biochemistry. The document also discusses water's role as the solvent for biochemical reactions due to its polarity.

Uploaded by

Caamir Dek Haybe
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
137 views19 pages

Biochemistry I Introduction

This document provides an introduction to the course Biochemistry. It outlines the course objectives which include understanding biomolecules like proteins, nucleic acids and lipids. It describes the basic units of life like cells, and key biomolecules and elements important for biochemistry. The document also discusses water's role as the solvent for biochemical reactions due to its polarity.

Uploaded by

Caamir Dek Haybe
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 19

BIOCHEMISTRY

Introduction

Prepared by:

Mohamed kasala
Senior lecturer
BSc,PGDE,MSc
Biochemistry
• Fall -2022
• Mohamed Kasala
• Chemistry & Biology
• University Of Hargeisa
• Phone: +252634474693
• E-mail: [email protected]
• This is a 3-credit course.
• Prerequisites for the course are one year of general chemistry
and one year of organic chemistry, cell biology.
• Required textbook: Mary K. Campbell, Shawn O. Farrell
biochemistry , Lehninger Principles of Biochemistry, Laberge,
Monique.Biochemistry / Monique Laberge..
Course Description
 Biochemistry , involves the study of the molecular
composition of living cells, the organization of
biological molecules within the cell, and the structure
and function of these biological molecules.
 The biological macromolecules which this course
focuses on are proteins, polysaccharides, and
polynucleic acids (DNA and RNA), including the
monomeric units of these macromolecules and enzyme
kinetics, the characterization of major metabolic
pathways
 In this semester we will concentrate on the structures of
these molecules, their functions, and the strong
relationship between structure and function and The
primary metabolic pathways that power cells
Course Objectives:
 Biochemistry 201 is designed to help you achieve
several broad objectives. At the end of the course, you
will be able to
 Define “biochemistry.”
 Identify the Four classes of polymeric biomolecules and
their monomeric building blocks.
 Explain the specificity of enzymes (biochemical
catalysts), and the chemistry involved in enzyme action.
 Explain how the metabolism of glucose leads ultimately
to the generation of large quantities of ATP.
 Describe how fats and amino acids are metabolized and
explain how they can be used for fuel.
 Describe the structure of DNA and explain how it carries genetic
information in its base sequence.
 Describe DNA replication.
 Describe RNA and protein synthesis.
 Summarize what is currently known about the biochemical basis of
cancer.
OUTLINE OF THE COURSE:
Biochemistry contain Two units, listed below.
Part I: Biomolecules
Unit 1 The Molecules and Chemical Reactions of Life
Unit 2 Simple and Complex Carbohydrates
Unit 3 Lipids and Membranes
Unit 4 Amino Acids and Proteins
Unit 5 Nucleotides and Nucleic Acids
Unit 6 Vitamins and Cofactors
Part II: Biochemical Reactions
Unit 7 Enzymes
Unit 8 Metabolic Pathways
Unit 9 Carbohydrate Metabolism
Unit 10 Lipid Metabolism
Unit 11 Amino Acid Metabolism
What is
biochemistry?
 Biochemistry is the study of the chemistry of life. It seeks to
understand the relationship between the structure and function of
the molecules that make up living organisms.

 The branch of science concerned with the chemical and


physico-chemical processes and substances that occur within living
organisms.

 Some biochemists try to explain how the molecules that make


up the human body function, They identify the molecules and
determine how the molecules are produced, how they interact with
each other, and the results of the chemical reactions they undergo.
 This is no easy task because of the enormous diversity and
complexity of life processes. There is a broad overlap between
biochemistry and all of the other sciences that study living
organisms, from micro organisms to plants, animals, and human
beings.

 Areas as diverse as cell and molecular biology, molecular


genetics, physiology, toxicology, drug design, nutrition, forensic
science, and environmental science all use biochemistry
techniques and methods.
Biomolecules
 Just as there is a great diversity of living organisms, there is also
a wide variety of molecules essential to life.
 These biomolecules are usually classified in four major groups:
proteins, nucleic acids, lipids, and carbohydrates. The groups
differ in chemical structure, reactivity, and function.
 Proteins are constructed from compounds called amino acids.
 Lipids are compounds that include fats and oils.
 Carbohydrates include such important compounds as sugars, starch,
and cellulose.
 Within each of the four main groups of biomolecules are subgroups,
classified according to structure or functionality
THE CELL
 The cell is the structural and functional unit of life. It may be
also regarded as the basic unit of biological activity.

Prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells


 The cells of the living kingdom may be divided into two
categories
1. Prokaryotes (Greek : pro – before; karyon –nucleus) lack a
well-defined nucleus and possess relatively simple structure. These
include the various bacteria.
2. Eukaryotes (Greek : eu – true; karyon – nucleus) possess a well-
defined nucleus and are more complex in their structure and
function. The higher organisms (animals and plants) are
composed of eukaryotic cells.
Where There Is Life, There Is Biochemistry
 Biochemistry is important in many fields of science in addition to
medicine.
 For instance, biochemists investigate food by studying molecules
such as vitamins, amino acids, fatty acids, various minerals, and
water, all of which are dietary requirements for healthy nutrition.
 They also explain how these nutrients are absorbed by
the body and what they do in the cells.
 For example, the question of how the body derives energy from
dietary fats and oils involves a series of biochemical reactions
explained by the biochemistry of the metabolic pathways.
The Elements of Life
 An element is a pure substance that cannot be broken down into
simpler sub-­stances by ordinary chemical techniques.
 Elements combine with one another in different amounts to
form everything from air, to food, to tools, to the human body.
 There are some 118 known elements, but only 4 elements make
up 99% of living organisms. These elements are hydrogen (H),
oxygen (O), nitrogen (N), and carbon (C), and they are special
because they are widely available every-­where and suitable for
the chemistry of life.
 Carbon (C) is sometimes called the single most important
element to life because the chemical properties of the carbon
atom make it ideal for building large biological molecules.
 Oxygen (O) is important for life, because it is required for cellular
respiration, the energy-­releasing reactions that sustain life.
 Nitrogen (N) is a major component of proteins, without which life
could not exist. Almost 80% of the air is made up of nitrogen. In
the plant kingdom, nitrogen is one of the three main elements that
make plant life possible (the other two are potassium and
phosphorus).
 Hydrogen (H) is the fourth most abundant element. It is almost
always bound to the carbon that living systems are made of, and
many chemical reactions that make life possible involve the
hydrogen ion.
Water: The Solvent for
Biochemical Reactions
Water and Polarity
 Water is the principal component of most cells. The geometry of
the water molecule and its properties as a solvent play major roles
in determining the properties of living systems.
What is polarity?
 When two atoms with the same electronegativity form a bond, the
electrons are shared equally between the two atoms. However, if
atoms with differing electronegativity form a bond, the electrons
are not shared equally and more of the negative charge is found
closer to one of the atoms.
 In the O-H bonds in water, oxygen is more electronegative than
hydrogen, so there is a higher probability that the bonding
electrons are closer to the oxygen.
 Polar bonds in which two atoms have an unequal share in the
bonding electrons
 Electronegativity measure of the tendency of an atom to attract
electrons to it in a chemical bond
 Why do some chemicals dissolve in water while others do not?
 The polar nature of water largely determines its solvent
properties. Ionic compounds with full charges and polar
compounds with partial charges tend to dissolve in water.
Summery
1. Life is composed of lifeless chemical molecules. The complex
biomolecules, proteins, nucleic acids (DNA and
RNA),polysaccharides and lipids are formed by the monomeric
units' amino acids, nucleotides, monosaccharides and fatty acids,
respectively.
2. The cell is the structural and functional unit of life. The
eukaryotic cell consists of well-defined subcellular organelles,
enveloped in a plasma membrane.

You might also like