What is biochemistry ?

Biochemistry: The chemistry of biology, the application of the tools and concepts of chemistry to living
systems.

Source : Medical Author: William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

Enumerate and define the three major area of study in biochemistry.

Area of study Definition

Molecular genetics It is the field of biology that studies the structure and
function of genes at a molecular level and thus
employs methods of both molecular biology
and genetics.
Protein science The science of protein which are large organic
compounds made of amino acids arranged in a linear
chain and joined together between the carboxyl atom
of one amino acid and the amine nitrogen of
another.
Metabolism The chemical processes that occur within a living
organism in order to maintain life.

Source : https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biochemistry

What are carbohydrates ?

"Carbohydrates" are chemically defined as polyhydroxy aldehyde or polyhydroxy ketones or complex
substances which on hydrolysis yield polyhydroxy aldehyde or polyhydroxy ketone." Carbohydrates are
one of the fundamental classes of macromolecules found in biology.
Source : https://en.m.wikibooks.org/wiki/Biochemistry/Carbohydrates
Classification of carbohydrates based on molecular size
Types Definition

Polysaccharides A carbohydrate whose molecules consist of a number

of sugar molecules bonded together
Oligosaccharides  a carbohydrate whose molecules are composed of a
relatively small number of monosaccharide units.

Disaccharides A disaccharide is the sugar formed when two

monosaccharides are joined by glycosidic linkage.
Monosaccharides  Any of the class of sugars that cannot be hydrolyzed
to give a simpler sugar.

Source : https://www.rsc.org/Educatirs/Resources/cfb/Carbohydrates.htm
Difference between aldose and ketose sugar

Aldose Ketose

An aldose is a monosaccharide with a carbon A ketose is a monosaccharide containing one

backbone chain with a carbonyl group on the ketone group per molecule. The simplest ketose
endmost carbon atom, making it an aldehyde, and is dihydroxyacetone, which has only three carbon
hydroxyl groups connected to all the other carbon atoms, and it is the only one with no optical
atom activity.
Source : http://www.chem.ucalgary.ca/courses/351/Carey5th/Ch25/ch25-2-4.html

Classification of monosaccharides based on the carbon atoms in the chain. List down the only monosaccharides
that are commonly found in nature.

Three carbon monosaccharides are called trioses, four carbon are called tetroses , five carbon are
called pentoses, six carbon are hexoses, and so on. Common Naturally Occurring Monosaccharides are
glucose, Fructose, galactose, mannose, ribose and deoxyribose.

Source : http://www.nutrientsreview.com/carbs/monosaccharides-simple-sugars.html

Name the six Monosaccharides that find importance in the biochemical function of the human body.
Six Monosaccharides are
 Glucose
 Fructose
 Galactose
 Mannose
 Ribose
 Deoxyribose
Source : https://www.ifis.org/blog/2012/food-science-and-technology/the-role-of-monosaccharides