Health Science 12: Microbiology & Parasitology
CHAPTER 06: THE BIOCHEMICAL BASIS OF LIFE
IMPORTANCE OF STUDYING THE
BIOCHEMICAL MAKEUP OF
MICROORGANISMS
Understanding life processes
- It plays an intrinsic role in every natural cycle.
Health and Medicine
- Today, most of the microbes are studied for drug
discovery and used widely in the pharmaceutical
industry.
Environmental Impact
- Microbes have been used in sewage and wastewater
treatment and has improved sanitation and health for
everyone. Microbial systems also help reduce carbon
emissions which is one of the critical issues the
modern society is facing.
Evolutionary Studies
- Many innovative explorations are making use of
microbes today. They are currently being explored for
construction, bioremediation, energy security and
generation.
FOUR MAIN CATEGORIES OF
BIOMOLECULES
1. Carbohydrates
- Are biomolecules composed of carbon, hydrogen,
and oxygen, in the ratio of 1:2:1, or simply CH2O
- Glucose, fructose, sucrose, lactose, maltose, starch,
cellulose, and glycogen are all examples of
carbohydrates.
- The simplest carbohydrates are simple sugars or
monosaccharides. They're the building blocks of
carbohydrates. Trioses, pentoses, and hexoses are
examples of monosaccharides.
2. Lipids
- Constitute an important class of biomolecules. Most
lipids are insoluble in water but soluble in fat solvents,
such as ether, chloroform, and benzene.
- Lipids are essential constituents of almost all living
cells.
Fatty acid is classified as the building blocks of lipids.
- Lipids can be classified into these categories:
Fats and oils, waxes, phospholipids, glycolipids,
steroids, prostaglandins, and leukotrienes
3. Proteins
- are the most essential in all living cells or "the
substance of life". The complete collection of proteins
within a cell is called a proteome. The study of
structure and activities of a protein is called
proteomics
- Proteins contain carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen,
and sometimes sulfur.
4. Nucleic acid
- comprises the fourth major group of biomolecules in
the living cells. They play a crucial role in proper
functioning of a cell.
Reference:
1. Dalvey, Reginald via news medical & life sciences
2. Burton's Microbiology and parasitology book in
CARBOHYDRATES
CLASSIFICATION OF CARBOHYDRATES
Monosaccharides
 The simplest carbohydrates are sugars, and the
smallest sugars (or simple sugars) are called
monosaccharides (Greek mono meaning
"one"; sakcharon meaning "sugar").
 The "one" refers to the number of rings; in
other words, monosaccharides are sugars
composed of only one ring.
 The most important monosaccharide is
glucose.
Disaccharide
 Disaccharides (di meaning "two") are double-
ringed sugars that result from the combination
of two monosaccharides. The synthesis of a
disaccharide from two monosaccharides by
removal of a water molecule is called a
dehydration synthesis reaction. Sucrose,
lactose, and maltose are examples of
disaccharides.
 Disaccharides react with water in a process
called a hydrolysis reaction, which causes
them to break down into two
monosaccharides: disaccharide + H 20 ~ two
monosaccharides sucrose + H 20 ~ glucose +
fructose lactose + H 20 ~ glucose + galactose
maltose + H 20 ~ glucose + glucose
Health Science 12: Microbiology & Parasitology
CHAPTER 06: THE BIOCHEMICAL BASIS OF LIFE
 lines between carbon atoms.
Polysaccharide  formed by sharing electrons
 Polysaccharides can be defined as Glycosidic bond
carbohydrates that contain many  type of covalent bond
monosaccharides. Poly means "many," and in  bond that holds two monosaccharides together
reality; most polysaccharides contain many Example: Glycosidic bonds connect individual
monosaccharides-up to hundreds or even sugar units in polysaccharides like starch or
thousands of monosaccharides. cellulose.
 Polysaccharides, such as glycogen, starch, and Peptide Bond
cellulose, are examples of poly-meres-  type of covalent bond.
molecules consisting of many similar subunits.  formed between two amino acids.
In the case of polysaccharides, the repeating Example: When water is removed, by
subunits are monosaccharides. dehydration synthesis amino acids are linked
together by a covalent bond which is peptide
bond.
Dehydration Synthesis Reaction and
Hydrolysis Reaction
LIPIDS
SIMILARITIES
 Dehydration and hydrolysis reactions are Lipids
chemical reactions that are catalyzed, or “sped  are insoluble in water but soluble in fat
up,” by specific enzymes. solvents, such as ether, chloroform, and
 Dehydration synthesis and hydrolysis are two benzene.
opposite chemical reactions involving water.  are essential constituents of almost all living
 Dehydration synthesis removes water to form cells.
a larger molecule, while hydrolysis adds water
to break down a molecule into smaller parts. Types of Lipids
Both processes play essential roles in the 1. Fatty Acids
metabolism of biomolecules, like proteins and  building blocks of lipids.
carbohydrates. 2. Waxes
 consist of a saturated fatty acid and long-chain
DIFFERENCES alcohol.
 Dehydration reactions involve the formation of  helps plants to prevent loss of water and
new bonds, requiring energy, while hydrolysis damage from pests.
reactions break bonds and release energy. 3. Fats and Oil
 Dehydration reactions and hydrolysis reactions  common types of lipids
assemble polymers from monomers.  also known triglycerides because they are
 Dehydration reactions assemble polymers;
composed of glycerol 3-carbon alcohol and 3
hydrolysis reactions break polymers apart. fatty acids
 Dehydration reactions eliminate water from
 Fats
membranes; hydrolysis reactions add water to - Saturated
membranes. - source: animals
 Oil
Hydrolysis reactions create polymers and dehydration - Unsaturated
reactions create monomers. - source: plants

Covalent, Glycosidic, And Peptide Bonds 4. Phospholipids

 most abundant membrane lipid
Covalent Bond
Health Science 12: Microbiology & Parasitology
CHAPTER 06: THE BIOCHEMICAL BASIS OF LIFE
 molecule that has hydrophilic "head" and
hydrophobic "tails"
5. Glycolipids
 are abundant in the brain and myelin sheath of
nerves.
 Some glycolipids contain glycerol plus two
fatty acids and a monosaccharide.
 Example of Glycolipids: Cerebrosides and
gangliosides
6. Steroid
 are rather complex, four-ringed structures.
 Example: cholesterol, bile salts, fat-soluble
vitamins, and steroid hormones.
PROTEINS
 The most essential chemicals in all living cells.
 ” the substance of life”
 The collection of proteins within the given cell
is called proteome.
 The study of the structure and activities of
proteins is called proteomics
 All proteins are polymers composed of amino
acids
 Proteins contain carbon, hydrogen, oxygen,
nitrogen and sometimes sulfur.
Protein Structure
1. Primary Protein Structure
- Linear sequence of amino acids in a chain.
2. Secondary Protein Structure
- hydrogen bonding of the peptide backbone causes the
amino acids to fold into a repeating pattern.
3. Tertiary Protein Structure
- Three-dimensional folding pattern of protein due to
side chain interactions.
4. Quaternary Protein Structure
- protein consisting of more than one amino acid chain.
ENZYME
Enzymes
- are proteins that act as biological catalysts by
accelerating chemical reactions. The molecules upon
which enzymes may act are called substrates, and the
enzyme converts the substrates into different
molecules known as products. Almost all metabolic
processes in the cell need enzyme catalysis in order to
occur at rates fast enough to sustain life.
- No, not all enzymes facilitate multiple types of
reactions. An enzyme can catalyze more than one
type of reaction, but only one at a time. Enzymes
are very selective catalysts, every enzyme has a
distinct active site that attaches to particular
molecules of substrate to help turn those
substrates into products.
ROLE OF ENZYMES IN METABOLISM.
- Some enzymes help to break down large nutrient
molecules, such as proteins, fats, and carbohydrates,
into smaller molecules. This process occurs during the
digestion of foodstuffs in the stomach and intestines of
animals.
WHAT MAKES AN ENZYME ACTIVE
- The activation of enzymes is the process of
converting an inactive enzyme molecule into a
metabolically active molecule. The enzyme molecule
can be activated by activators such as ions, cofactors
such as coenzymes, or by the conversion of a
proenzyme into an active molecule.
COMPONENTS OF ENZYMES
- Bound to some enzymes is an additional chemical
component called a cofactor, which is a direct
participant in the catalytic event and thus is required
for enzymatic activity. A cofactor may be either a
coenzyme—an organic molecule, such as a vitamin—
or an inorganic metal ion.
SUBSTRATE
- Enzymes bind substrates at key locations in their
structure called active sites. They are typically highly
specific and only bind certain substrates for certain
reactions. Without enzymes, most metabolic reactions
would take much longer and would not be fast enough
to sustain life.
NUCLEIC ACID
Health Science 12: Microbiology & Parasitology
CHAPTER 06: THE BIOCHEMICAL BASIS OF LIFE
(DNA->RNA-> PROTEIN) is called GENE
FUNCTION: expression
- DNA and RNA comprises the fourth group of
1. REPLICATION of DNA is defined as copying of
biomolecules in living cells
the entire genome before the cell divide into two
- Contains C, H, O, N, and P.
2. After copying information tikang DNA molecule
Nucleic acid play extremely important roles in cells: tikadto new messenger RNA molecule (mRNA) gin
- They are critical to the proper functioning of a cell. titiwang na TRANSCRIPTION
- The information in DNA must flow to the rest of the
cell for the cell to function properly; this flow of 3. Formation of protein molecule after reading of the
information is accomplished by RNA molecules messenger RNA molecule tatawag na
- DNA is the " hereditary molecule " containing the TRANSLATION
gene and genetic code. Central Dogma

STRUCTURE:
- The building blocks of nucleic acid polymers are
called nucleotides.
- These are more complex monomers (single molecular
units than can be repeated to form a polymer) than
amino acids, which are the building blocks of proteins.
Francis Crick use the term Central Dogma. The term
"dugma" usually refers to a basic doctrinal point in
religion. the term "central dogma" refers the most
fundamental process of molecular biology. central
dogma also known as the "one gene- one protein
hypothesis. the central dogma

explain the flow of genetic information within a cell.

Nucleotides Consist of Three Subunits: the importance of central dogma in microbiology it
1. NITROGENOUS BASE - a nitrogen- containing provides the basic framework for how genetics
2. PENTOSE - a five-carbon sugar information flows from a DNA sequence to a protein
3. PHOSPHATE GROUP - joined together product inside cells. this process of genetic information
flowing from DNA to RNA to protein
DNA & RNA
Major Differences between DNA and RNA
- DNA is double stranded, whereas RNA is single
stranded
- DNA contains deoxyribose, whereas RNA contains
ribose
- DNA contains thymine, whereas RNA contains uracil

FUNCTION:
- DNA provides the code for the cell 's activities, while
RNA converts that code into proteins to carry out
cellular functions.

Differences between DNA nucleotides and RNA

nucleotides
- The two examples where nucleotides differ
structurally are in DNA nucleotides, which include
deoxyribose sugar, and RNA nucleotides, which have
ribose sugar in each nucleotide. Adenine, guanine,
cytosine, and thymine are examples of nitrogenous
bases found in DNA.