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Lect-1 Basic Biochem

Biochemistry is the science concerned with the chemical basis of life. It studies the structure and behavior of complex molecules like carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids that make up living organisms, and how these molecules interact and undergo chemical reactions to sustain life. The basic units of living things are cells, which use biomolecules like sugars, fatty acids, amino acids, and nucleotides as building blocks to carry out their functions through carefully regulated biochemical pathways and reactions. A thorough understanding of biochemistry is essential to fields like genetics, physiology, pharmacology and medicine, as biochemical abnormalities can often explain the molecular mechanisms of many diseases.

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24 views

Lect-1 Basic Biochem

Biochemistry is the science concerned with the chemical basis of life. It studies the structure and behavior of complex molecules like carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids that make up living organisms, and how these molecules interact and undergo chemical reactions to sustain life. The basic units of living things are cells, which use biomolecules like sugars, fatty acids, amino acids, and nucleotides as building blocks to carry out their functions through carefully regulated biochemical pathways and reactions. A thorough understanding of biochemistry is essential to fields like genetics, physiology, pharmacology and medicine, as biochemical abnormalities can often explain the molecular mechanisms of many diseases.

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A H
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© © All Rights Reserved
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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BASIC BIOCHEMISTRY

MLAB - 242

Introduction
INTRODUCTION TO BASIC
BIOCHEMISTRY

Biochemistry can be defined as the


science concerned with the chemical
basis of life.
BIO = LIFE (Greek)
The cell is the structural unit of living
systems. Thus, biochemistry can also be
described as:
The science concerned with the chemical
constituents of living cells and with the
reactions they undergo.
What is Biochemistry?
• Biochemistry is the application of chemistry to the
study of biological processes at the cellular and
molecular level.

• It emerged as a distinct discipline around the


beginning of the 20th century when scientists
combined chemistry, physiology and biology to
investigate the chemistry of living systems by:

A. Studying the structure and behavior of the complex


molecules found in biological material.

B. The ways these molecules interact to form cells, tissues and


whole organism.
Principles of Biochemistry
• Cells (basic structural units of living organisms) are highly
organized and constant source of energy is required to maintain
the ordered state.

• Living processes contain thousands of chemical reactions.


Precise regulation and integration of these reactions are
required to maintain life

• All organisms use the same type of molecules: carbohydrates,


proteins, lipids & nucleic acids.
Cells
• Basic building blocks of life
• Smallest living unit of an organism
• Grow, reproduce, use energy, adapt, respond to their
environment
• Many cannot be seen with the naked eye
• A cell may be an entire organism or it may be one of billions of
cells that make up the organism

• Basis Types of Cells: Prokaryotic and eukaryotic


Biomolecules:
The four main classes of molecules in
biochemistry are:
carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic
acids.

Monomers are relatively small molecules


that are linked together to create large
macromolecules, which are known
as Polymers.
Biomolecules:
Carbohydrates are made from monomers
called monosaccharides.

Examples of these monosaccharide include


glucose (C6H12O6), fructose (C6H12O6)
Sugars
• Carbohydrates most abundant organic molecule
found in nature.
• Initially synthesized in plants from a complex series
of reactions involving photosynthesis.
• Basic unit is monosaccharaides.
• Monosaccharaides can form larger molecules e.g.
glycogen, plant starch or cellulose.

Functions
• Store energy in the form of starch (photosynthesis in
plants) or glycogen (in animals and humans).
• Provide energy through metabolism pathways and cycles.
• Supply carbon for synthesis of other compounds.
• Form structural components in cells and tissues.
Lipids are usually made from one molecule
of glycerol combined with other molecules.

For example in triglycerides, the main


group of bulk lipids, there is one molecule
of glycerol and three fatty acids.
Fatty acids

• Are monocarboxylic acid contains even number C atoms

• Two types: saturated (C-C sb) and unsaturated (C-C db)

• Fatty acids are components of several lipid molecules.

• E,g. of lipids are triacylglycerol, streiods (cholestrol, sex


hormones), fat soluble vitamins.

Functions
• Storage of energy in the form of fat
• Membrane structures
• Insulation (thermal blanket)
• Synthesis of hormones
Proteins are very large molecules made
from monomers called amino acids.

There are 20 standard amino acids.


When amino acids combine, they form
a special bond called a peptide bond
and become a polypeptide, or protein.
Amino Acids

• Building blocks of proteins.


• 20 commonly occurring.
• Contains amino group and carboxyl group
function groups (behavioral properties)
• R Group (side chains) determines the
chemical properties of each amino acids.
• Also determines how the protein folds and
its biological function.
• Individual amino acids in protein connected
by peptide bond.

• Functions as transport proteins, structural


proteins, enzymes, antibodies, cell
receptors.
Nucleic acids are the molecules that
make up DNA, (to store their genetic
information).

The most common nucleic acids


are Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)
and Ribonucleic acid (RNA).
THE AIM OF BIOCHEMISTRY
To describe & explain, in molecular terms,
all chemical processes of living cells.

The major objective of biochemistry is


the understanding of all of the chemical
processes associated with living cells.
Knowledge of biochemistry is
essential to all life sciences
Genetics :The biochemistry of the nucleic
acids lies at the heart of genetics.
Physiology : The study of body function,
overlaps with biochemistry almost completely.
Immunology employs numerous biochemical
techniques.
Pharmacology and pharmacy rest on a sound
knowledge of biochemistry and physiology;
in particular, most drugs are metabolized by
enzyme-catalyzed reactions.
Toxicology : Poisons act on biochemical
reactions or processes.
Pathology (the study of disease) :
Biochemical approaches are being used
increasingly to study basic aspects of such
as inflammation, cell injury, and cancer.
Relationship between
biochemistry & medicine
The interrelationship of biochemistry and
medicine is a wide, two-way street.
Biochemical studies have illuminated many
aspects of health and disease, and
conversely, the study of various aspects
of health and disease has opened up new
areas of biochemistry.
Most & perhaps all disease
has a biochemical basis
Most, if not all diseases are manifestations
of abnormalities of molecules, chemical
reactions, or biochemical processes.

Biochemistry has become the foundation for


understanding all biological processes. It
has provided explanations for the causes of
many diseases in humans, animals and plants.

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