Biochemistry Course

Biochemistry Course - Lecture 1

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Study Notes

Subject matter is divided into three major parts: Molecular Biology, Conventional/Mendelian Genetics, and Non-Mendelian genetics and cytogenetics
Molecular Biology: A branch of biology to comprehend biological activity inside and between cells, encompassing bio-molecular synthesis, modification, and interactions. It studies the structure and function of molecules and macromolecular systems in biological processes, focusing on inheritance and protein synthesis
Molecular Biology includes compositions, interaction, structure and function of biomolecules like amino acids, nucleic acids (DNA and RNA), proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids. It also aims to better understand genetic diversity, genetic evolution, and new organisms.
Molecular Biology supports interactions like gene therapy, vaccine manufacturing, and drug discovery
Gene therapy is a clinical research and medical therapy arising from molecular biology.
Molecular medicine is now referred to as the use of molecular and molecular cell biology in medicine.
Molecular medicine is valuable in addressing various problems affecting overall human health including disease prevention, treatment, and protein product creation
Molecular biology techniques facilitate efficient drug targeting and disease diagnosis, aiding in discovering new causal agents. It also improves understanding of human cell physiology.

Nucleic acids are composed of nucleotides and include deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA).
A nucleotide comprises a phosphate group, a sugar (deoxyribose in DNA, ribose in RNA), and a base.
A nucleoside consists of a sugar and a base; no phosphate group is present

Purines are double-ringed structures. Examples include Adenine and Guanine.
Pyrimidines are single-ringed structures. Examples include Thymine, Cytosine (in DNA), and Uracil (in RNA).

DNA consists of two long strands of nucleotides.
Each nucleotide is made up of phosphate, deoxyribose sugar, and a nitrogenous base.
Nucleotides differ only based on the bases.
Strands are twisted into a double helix structure.
Opposite strands run antiparallel.
Strands fit tightly together due to antiparallel structure

RNA is a single stranded molecule composed of nucleotides
Includes ribose sugar, nitrogenous bases (adenine, guanine, uracil, and cytosine), and phosphate group.

DNA is double-stranded; RNA is usually single-stranded
DNA sugar is deoxyribose; RNA sugar is ribose
DNA bases include adenine, guanine, cytosine, and thymine; RNA bases include adenine, guanine, cytosine, and uracil.
DNA is long; RNA is short
DNA is self-replicating; RNA is synthesized from DNA as needed.

DNA is generally stable with C-H bonds, and enzymes actively destroy enzymes that break or modify DNA molecules
RNA is more reactive than DNA due to the presence of O-H bonds
RNA is easily affected by alkaline conditions; DNA is not.
RNA is frequently synthesized and broken down as needed for cellular activity

Codon: A sequence of three consecutive nucleotides that codes for a particular amino acid.
Start codons and stop codons are specific codons signaling the start and end of translation, respectively.

Transcription and translation allow cells to create proteins that are essential for bodily functions from stored information within DNA.

Chromatid: A single strand of replicated DNA, one half of a duplicated chromosome
Amino acids: Building blocks of proteins

Nine amino acids (histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine) are essential; human bodies cannot produce them

DNA sequencing is a laboratory technique.
Used to determine the precise nucleotide order in DNA (A, C, G, and T).
Sanger sequencing, also known as the chain termination method, is a technique used to determine the nucleotide sequence.