Biochemistry Introduction PDF

BIOCHEMISTRY INTRODUCTION Lesson 11 BIOCHEMISTRY A molecular description of the structures, mechanisms, and chemical processes of living things in all their diverse forms. Describes in molecular terms the structures, mechanisms, and chemical processes shared by all organisms...

BIOCHEMISTRY INTRODUCTION Lesson 11 BIOCHEMISTRY A molecular description of the structures, mechanisms, and chemical processes of living things in all their diverse forms. Describes in molecular terms the structures, mechanisms, and chemical processes shared by all organisms and provides organizing principles that underlie life in all its diverse forms. Biochemists use physical and chemical principles to explain biology at the molecular level. How does biochemistry impact you? Medicine: Blood tests, e.g. glucose or cholesterol tests. Lots of drugs Agriculture: Application of fertilizers and pesticides and the way they react with crops at the cell level Industrial applications: Food industry, biotechnology… Environmental applications: Using biochemistry it is possible to study how the different pollutants behave once they are in the body. Principle Areas of Biochemistry Biochemistry interconnects nutrition, metabolism and genetics in health and disease Structure and function of biological macromolecules →Our body manages to maintain its internal environment for decades: We consume food and water and take up oxygen from air. Metabolism→ anabolic and catabolic processes. We use energy from metabolism to perform work and maintain body temperature and get rid of CO2, water and N. Molecular Genetics→ How life is replicated. Regulation of protein synthesis Features that define a living organism Diferences?? Features that define a living organism PRINCIPLES Cells are the fundamental unit of life Cells use a relatively small set of carbon-based metabolites to create polymeric machines, supramolecular structures, and information repositories. Living organisms exist in a dynamic steady state, never at equilibrium with their surroundings. Cells have the capacity for precise self-replication and self-assembly using chemical information stored in the genome. Living organisms change over time by gradual evolution Features that define a living organism Highly organized Hability to extract, transform and use the energy from the environment Self-replication and self-assembly Features that define a living organism Highly organized Features that define a living organism Hability to extract, transform and use the energy from the environment. They respond to the environment and can use either nutrients to grow or to do different activities or the energy from the sun for the activities of plants Features that define a living organism Self-replication and self-assembly Levels of Organization of Living Things Atomic Molecular Cells Tissues Organs Organism Population Ecosystem Biosphere Atomic level The atoms in the periodic table that appear in the organisms are called Bioelements. Atomic level Negative charge Electron Can be shared between atoms Positive charge Proton Can not be shared between atoms No charge Neutron Can not be shared between atoms Atomic level Fewer than 30 of the more than 90 naturally occurring chemical elements are known to be essential to organisms. Atomic level BIOELEMENTS PRIMARY SECONDARY OLIGOELEMENTS BIOELEMENTS BIOLEMENTS Essential Non-essential C-Carbon P-Phosphorus H-Hydrogen S-Sulfur Mn-Manganese F-Fluoride Cr-Chromium O-Oxygen Na- Sodium Fe-Iron Mo- B-Boron N-Nitrogen K- Potassium Co-Cobalt Molybdenum Al-Aluminium Mg- Magnesium Cu-Copper Se-Selemium V-Vanadium Ca- Calcium Zn-Zinc Sn-Tin Si- Silicon Cl- Chlorine I-Iodine Ni-Nickel Atomic level- Bioelements PRIMARY Together make up more than 99% of the mass of BIOELEMENTS most cells They are the lightest elements capable of efficiently C-Carbon forming one (H), two (O), three (N), and four (C) H-Hydrogen O-Oxygen bonds → Covalent bond N-Nitrogen Strong bonds Atomic level- Bioelements SECONDARY 1% of the mass BIOLEMENTS Play essential roles in cell physiology P-Phosphorus S-Sulfur Na- Sodium ATP K- Potassium Mg- Magnesium Ca- Calcium Cl- Chlorine Atomic level- Bioelements OLIGOELEMENTS Trace elements Essential to life → essential to the Mn-Manganese Se-Selenium Fe-Iron Sn-Tin function of specific proteins Co-Cobalt Ni-Nickel Their absence and excess can cause Cu-Copper Cr-Chromium important deficiencies and problems in Zn-Zinc B-Boron the body I-Iodine Al-Aluminum F-Fluoride V-Vanadium Mo-Molybdenum Si- Silicon Levels of Organization of Living Things Atomic Molecular Cells Tissues Organs Organism Population Ecosystem Biosphere Molecular level Molecule: A group of atoms bonded together, representing the smallest fundamental unit of a chemical compound that can take part in a chemical reaction Chemical bonding: Interaction that account for the association of atoms into molecules Types of chemical bonds Metallic Covalent Ionic bond bond bond Polar Covalent Bond Electronegativity: tendency of an atom to attract electrons toward itself.. Exists when atoms with different electronegativities share electrons in a covalent bond The bonding electrons are shared unequally Oversimplified → the more electronegative atom “owns” the bonding electrons it shares with another atom Electronegativity H