BIOCHEMISTRY (LEC) MOST & PERHAPS ALL DISEASES HAVE A

BIOCHEMICAL BASIS
INTRODUCTION TO BIOCHEMISTRY
Two Way Street
WHAT IS BIOCHEMISTRY?

 Deals with the study of the chemistry of living

organisms
 It is the application of chemistry to the study of
biological processes at the cellular and
molecular level
 Has become the foundation for understanding
all biological processes
 It has provided explanations for the causes of
many diseases in humans, animals and plants
 Concerned with the physio-chemical processes MAJOR CAUSES OF DISEASES
underlying
o Digestion, absorption, circulation,  Physical Agents
respiration, metabolism, growth, and o Mechanical Trauma, Temperature
reproduction Extremes, Radiation, Electric Shock
 Chemical Agents
FOUR MAJOR CLASSES OF BIOMOLECULES o Toxic Compounds, Drugs
 Biologic Agents
 PROTEINS o Viruses, Bacteria, Fungi, Parasites
 NUCLEIC ACIDS  Genetic Disease
 CARBOHYDRATES  Oxygen Lack
 LIPIDS o Loss Of Blood, Decreased Oxygen-
Carrying Capacity of Blood,
ROOTS OF BIOCHEMISTRY Mitochondrial Poisoning
 Immunologic Reactions
 Karl Scheele – Swedish founder of o Anaphylaxis, Autoimmune Disorders
biochemistry who studied the chemical  Nutritional Imbalances
composition of matter in mid 1700 o Deficiencies, Excesses
 Schleiden & Schwann – formulated the cell  Endocrine Imbalances
theory in 1840 o Hormonal Deficiencies/Excesses
 Walther Flemming – discovered chromosomes
in 1875
REVIEW OF BIOMOLECULES
 Carl Newberg – a German scientist who coined
the word biochemistry WHAT ARE BIOMOLECULES?
 Hans Kreb – proposed the Kreb Cycle of the
TCA in 1937.  Biomolecules are molecules found in living
 Embden & Mayerhoff – described the glycolytic matter.
pathway in 1925.  Two broad types: small molecules and
 James Watson & Francis Crick – described macromolecules
the double helical structure of DNA in 1953  Importance of macromolecules:
a. Essential structures for the basis of life
WHY STUDY BIOCHEMISTRY? b. Control and regulate these processes
c. Responsible for energy exchanges,
 To describe and explain in molecular terms all irritability, metabolism, mobility and
chemical processes of living cells. reproduction
 Knowledge in biochemistry is essential to all life
sciences
 A reciprocal relationship between biochemistry
and medicine has stimulated mutual advances
 Normal biochemical processes are the basis of
health
 Biochemical research has impact on nutrition
and preventive medicine
  contain a benzene ring
WHAT ARE THE PRIMORDIAL BIOMOLECULES?

1. Amino Acids – Glycine, Alanine, Serine

2. Nitrogenous Bases – Pyrimidines, Purines
3. Sugars – Glucose, Galactose, Mannose
4. Sugar Alcohol – Glycerol
5. Nitrogenous Alcohol – Choline
6. Fatty Acids – Palmitic Acid, Linoleic Acid,
Linolenic Acid, Arachidonic Acid

ORGANIC COMPOUNDS

NAMING THE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS

 Counting The Carbon Atoms

 Types Of Carbon-Carbon Bonds
 Types Of Compounds

COUNTING THE CARBON ATOMS

Meth
Eth
Prop
But
Pent
Hex
Hept
Oct
Non
Dec

or a derivative of the
TYPES OF CARBON-CARBON BONDS benzene ring

Code Meaning

-an only carbon-carbon single bonds

-en contains a carbon-carbon double bond

TYPES OF COMPOUNDS

 Alkanes, Alkenes, And Alkynes

 Complex Organic Compounds

ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
 Substituted Hydrocarbons
TWO GENERAL CLASSIFICATIONS
 Which one or more hydrogen atoms is
 Hydrocarbons replaced by another atom or group of
 Contain Only Carbon and Hydrogen atoms
o Aliphatic Hydrocarbons o Functional Groups
 No benzene rings or a  Is an atom or group of
derivative of the atoms arranged in a
benzene ring particular way that is
 Alkanes, alkenes, and primarily responsible for
alkynes the chemical and
o Aromatic Hydrocarbons
 physical properties of  Sulfhydryl
the molecule in which it  Disulfide
is found

COMMON FUNCTIONAL GROUPS

 Carbon-Oxygen Group
 Carbon-Sulfur Group CARBON-NITROGEN GROUP
 Carbon-Nitrogen Group
 Esters And Amines  Amino
 Quaternary
CARBON-OXYGEN GROUP

 Alcohol
 Aldehyde
 Ketone
 Carboxylic Acid
 Acid Anhydride
 Ether ESTERS AND AMINE

 Thioester
 Phosphoester
 Ester
 Amide

CHEMICAL REACTIONS OCCURRING IN LIVING

MATTER (IN VIVO)

 Oxidation
 Reduction
 Hydrolysis
 Condensation
 Tautomerism

OXIDATION

- Is the process wherein most of the energy

CARBON-SULFUR GROUP
liberated by living matter is derived from the
 oxidation of organic substances such as - Is a chemical process in which a molecule of
carbohydrates, fats and proteins water is added to a substance
- Sometimes this addition causes both substance
 Two Kinds of Oxidation: and water molecule to split into two parts
o Anaerobic Oxidation and Aerobic - Through hydrolysis, large molecules are broken
Oxidation down into smaller and simpler forms
 Aerobic Oxidation
o Takes place in the presence of free CONDENSATION
oxygen
 Anaerobic Oxidation - Is the reaction wherein simple fragments unite
o In the absence of free oxygen, with one another to form a more complex
anaerobic oxidation occurs. The compound
substance undergoes oxidation either by - The synthesis of complex substances like
a loss of hydrogen, as in the oxidation of glycogen and tissue protein is accomplished
lactic acid to pyruvic acid through this process

REDUCTION Common Condensation Reactions:

- Is the reverse of oxidation

- It may be brought about by either by loss of
oxygen or by gain of hydrogen or electrons.
- Whenever oxidation occurs there is a
simultaneous and corresponding reduction.
- All foods and organic substances have the
property of taking up oxygen, hence they are
reducing agents.

HYDROLYSIS

TAUTOMERISM
 - AKA isomeric transformation is the
intramolecular rearrangement of atoms within a
molecule leading to the formation of a new
substance having distinctive properties of its
own.
- Example: transformation of glucose into
galactose; galactose into mannose

 Covalent Bonding
o Involves a sharing pair of electrons
between atoms
HYDROPHOBICITY VS HYDROPHILICITY

HYDROPHOBIC
 Refers to the physical property of a molecule
that is repelled from a mass of water
 Alkanes, oils, and fats

HYDROPHILIC
 Refers to a physical property of a molecule that
can transiently bond with water (h2o) through
hydrogen bonding

CHEMICAL BONDS

 Ionic Bonding
o Involves a transfer of one or more
electrons from one atom to another,
 Hydrogen Bonding
leading to the formation of an ionic bond
o Hydrogen atom is bonded to a small,
highly electronegative atom