2. What is Biochemistry?
• Biochemistry = chemistry of life.
• Biochemists use physical and
chemical principles to explain
biology at the molecular level.
• Basic principles of biochemistry are
common to all living organism
3. How does biochemistry
impact you?
• Medicine
• Agriculture
• Industrial applications
• Environmental applications
4. Principle Areas of
Biochemistry
• Structure and function of biological
macromolecules
• Metabolism – anabolic and catabolic
processes.
• Molecular Genetics – How life is
replicated. Regulation of protein
synthesis
6. Once upon a time, a long long time ago…..
Vitalism: idea that substances and processes
associated with living organisms did not
behave according to the known laws of
physics and chemistry
Evidence:
1) Only living things have a high degree of
complexity
2) Only living things extract, transform and
utilize energy from their environment
3) Only living things are capable of self
assembly and self replication
8. Fallacy #1: Biochemicals can only be
produced by living organisms
•1828 Friedrich Wohler
•Dead Biochemist #1
9. Fallacy #2: Complex bioconversion of
chemical substances require living
matter
•1897 Eduard Buchner
Dead Biochemists #2
Glucose + Dead Yeast = Alcohol
10. • Emil Fischer
Fallacy #2: Complex
bioconversion of chemical
substances require living matter
Dead Biochemists #3
12. Findings of other famous dead biochemist
• 1944 Avery, MacLeod and McCarty identified
DNA as information molecules
• 1953 Watson (still alive) and Crick proposed the
structure of DNA
• 1958 Crick proposed the central dogma of
biology
13. Organization of Life
• elements
• simple organic compounds (monomers)
• macromolecules (polymers)
• supramolecular structures
• organelles
• cells
• tissues
• organisms
14. Range of the
sizes of objects
studies by
Biochemist and
Biologist
1 angstrom = 0.1 nm
15. Most abundant, essential for all organisms: C, N, O, P, S, H
Less abundant, essential for all organisms : Na, Mg, K, Ca, Cl
Trace levels, essential for all organism: Mn, Fe, Co, Cu, Zn
Trace levels, essential for some organisms: V, Cr, Mo, B, Al, Ga, Sn, Si,
As, Se, I,
Elements of Life
17. Many Important Biomolecules are Polymers
p r o t e i n c o m p le x
p r o t e in s u b u n it
a m i n o a c id
m e m b r a n e
p h o s p h o lip id
f a t t y a c id
c e ll w a ll
c e llu lo se
g lu co se
c h r o m o s o m e
D N A
n u c le o tid emonomer
polymer
supramolecular
structure
lipids proteins carbo nucleic acids
18. Lipids
m e m b r a n e
p h o s p h o lip id
f a t t y a c idmonomer
polymer
supramolecular
structure
Nuclear envelope and endoplasmic reticulum of a eukaryotic cell.
Golgi apparatus. Often associated with the endoplasmic reticulum, the Golgi apparatus is responsible for the modification and sorting of some biomolecules. The proteins inserted into the lumen of the ER are transported to the Golgi apparatus for sorting and secretion. Vesicles carry modified material to destinations inside and outside the cell.
Mitochondrion. Mitochondria are the main sites of energy transduction in aerobic eukaryotic cells. Carbohydrates, fatty acids, and amino acids are metabolized in this organelle.
Chloroplast. Chloroplasts are the sites of photosynthesis in plants and algae. Light energy is captured by pigments associated with the thylakoid membrane and used to convert carbon dioxide and water to carbohydrates.