Biochemistry

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Biochemistry
An Introduction to the Chemistry of Life for
Biology Students
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What is Life Made of?

• Physical and Chemical sciences alone may not
  completely explain the nature of life, but they
  at least provide the essential framework for such
  an explanation.
• All students of life must have a fundamental
  understanding of organic chemistry and
  biochemistry.

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Organic Chemistry

• Organic chemistry is the study of Carbon
  compounds.
• Organic compounds are compounds composed
  primarily of a Carbon skeleton.
• All living things are composed of organic
  compounds.

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Organic Chemistry

• What makes Carbon Special? Why is Carbon so
  different from all the other elements on the
  periodic table?
• The answer derives from the ability of Carbon
  atoms to bond together to form long chains and
  rings.

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Organic Chemistry
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Organic Chemistry
Carbon can covalently bond with up to four other
atoms.
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Carbon can form immensely diverse compounds, from
simple to complex.
DNA with tens of Billions of Carbon atoms
Methane with 1 Carbon atom
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Biochemistry

• Biochemistry is a special branch of organic
  chemistry that deals with matter inside the
  living cell called Protoplasm.
• Protoplasm is an enormously complex mixture of
  organic compounds where high levels of chemical
  activity occur.

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Biochemistry

• How much biochemistry do you need to know for
  this course?
• 1. You need to know the structure of organic
  molecules important to major biological
  processes.

2. You will be expected to learn the basic
biochemical processes of major cell functions,
such as photosynthesis, respiration, and protein
synthesis.
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Primary Organic Compounds

• Carbohydrates
• Lipids
• Proteins
• Nucleic Acids

You are expected to learn the structure and
functions of these organic compounds
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Polymers ands Monomers

• Each of these types of molecules are polymers
  that are assembled from single units called
  monomers.
• Each type of macromolecule is an assemblage of a
  different type of monomer.

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Monomers

• Macromolecule
• Carbohydrates
• Lipids
• Proteins
• Nucleic acids

• Monomer
• Monosaccharide
• Not always polymers Hydrocarbon chains
• Amino acids
• Nucleotides

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How do monomers form polymers?

• In condensation reactions (also called
  dehydration synthesis), a molecule of water is
  removed from two monomers as they are connected
  together.

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Hydrolysis

• In a reaction opposite to condensation, a water
  molecule can be added (along with the use of an
  enzyme) to split a polymer in two.

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Carbohydrates

• Carbohydrates are made of carbon, hydrogen, and
  oxygen atoms, always in a ratio of 121.
• Carbohydrates are the key source of energy used
  by living things.
• The building blocks of carbohydrates are sugars,
  such as glucose and fructose.

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Carbohydrates

• What do the roots mono-, di-, oligo-, and poly
  mean?
• Each of these roots can be added to the word
  saccharide to describe the type of carbohydrate
  you have.

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How do two monosaccharides combine to make a
polysaccharide?

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Polysaccharides

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Lipids

• Lipids are molecules that consist of long
  hydrocarbon chains. Attaching the three chains
  together is usually a glycerol molecule. Lipids
  are NONpolar.

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Saturated vs. Unsaturated Fat

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Proteins

• Proteins are building blocks of structures called
  amino acids. Proteins are what your DNA codes to
  make (we will talk about this in great detail in
  a month or so).
• A peptide bond forms between amino acids by
  dehydration synthesis.

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Levels of Protein Structure

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Protein Structure

• Level
• Primary
• Secondary
• Tertiary
• Quaternary

• Description
• The amino acid sequence
• Helices and Sheets
• Disulfide bridges
• Multiple polypeptides connect