BCH 5045

GRADUATE SURVEY OF BIOCHEMISTRY LECTURE 1 CELLS, ORGANELLES

FALL 2003

I.

What is Biochemistry? It is the chemistry of life, and is the bridge between pure chemistry and biology. It is the matrix that ties all life forms together, and it collectively sets the ground rules and limits of when, how, and where life can exist. Literally, all biological processes arise from the actions of molecules. Your ability to read and comprehend this handout is the collective result of a variety of biological chemistries. Therefore, to at least partially describe the mystery of life, one must understand its chemistry. As you will see, biochemistry is a lot like learning a new language, for it is the language of molecules, large and small, the language of reactions and reaction mechanisms, the language of information storage, decoding and heredity, the language of the physical laws of chemistry, the language of supramolecular structures and integrated systems, and the language of metabolism just to list a few. In biochemistry, you will find at least one pinnacle of human understanding, you will find reoccurring themes and forms observable in the natural world around us, you will find creativity: analytical and artistic, and if you delve far enough, you can find drama in the excitement of discovery and without a doubt, the disappointment of failure. Voet and Voet (Biochemistry, 2nd ed. 1995) state that: "Although biochemistry is a highly diverse field, it is largely concerned with a limited number of interrelated issues. These are: 1. What are the chemical and three-dimensional structures of biological molecules and assemblies, how are these structures formed, and how do their properties vary? How do proteins work; that is, what are the molecular mechanisms of enzymatic catalysis, how do receptors recognize and bind specific molecules, and what are the intramolecular and intermolecular mechanisms by which receptors transmit information concerning their binding states? How is genetic information expressed and how is it transmitted to future generations? How are biological molecules and assemblies synthesized? What are the control mechanisms that coordinate the myriad biochemical reactions that take place in cells and organisms? How do cells and organisms grow, differentiate, and reproduce?"

2.

3. 4. 5. 6.

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GRADUATE SURVEY OF BIOCHEMISTRY

FALL 2003

Why should you know something about biochemistry? As a life scientist: agronomist, biologist, ecologist, entomologist, horticulturist, soil scientist, or whether your professional pursuits are in animal science, food and nutritional science, or medicine, biochemistry will be an integral part of everything you do and everything you will need to know to do your job. The 21st Century, at least as it begins, is the century of biochemistry. The 20th Century laid the foundation for all that is now unfolding on a daily basis in genetics, molecular biology, enzymology, metabolism, host-parasite interactions, and a hundred other areas of research. We can see evidence of this on Wall Street, where life sciencebased technologies and industries are being capitalized in numerous Blue Chip companies and countless recent IPOs. New products are being brought to the marketplace on such a large scale, that collectively the essence of biochemistry is a major factor in todays global economy. Literally billions of dollars of investments and corporate profits hinge on the everyday discoveries taking place in biochemistry labs. Finally, biochemistry integrates all life science disciplines and ties all forms of life together. We use biochemistry in our everyday lives already. Its what we eat and drink. Its the vitamins we take. It is the medicines we need. It is the pesticides we spray on our lawns, and many more daily use items we take for granted. Unfortunately, its misuse and misinformation is rampant in the ubiquitous infomercials and self-improvement popular press. So even if you were not in graduate school and pursuing a degree in the life sciences, it will be most beneficial (almost essential in the 21st century) to have some knowledge of biochemistry.

III.

The Unit of Life is the Cell 1. Cell Structure and Organization A. Animal Cell 1. Cytosol, an aqueous sol: [a colloidal system in which water forms the continuous phase; a colloidal state is a state of matter in which one substance in the form of small particles (discontinuous phase) is suspended in or dispersed in another]. a. Ribosomes 80S, Polysomes, Proteosomes b. Cytoskeleton, Microtubules, Microfilaments, Intermediate Filaments, for example, keratin. OK for our second class meeting be prepared to tell me something about intermediate filaments, what are they, what are some of the names associated with the components of intermediate filaments, what is their size, what do they do, and where are they found? c. Centriole, functions in mitosis 2

BCH 5045 2.

GRADUATE SURVEY OF BIOCHEMISTRY

FALL 2003

3.

4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. B.

Nucleus, largest of all organelles a. Nuclear Envelope, pores b. Nucleous, site of active rRNA synthesis c. Chromatin, DNA and protein complexes d. Nucleoplasm Mitochondrion, about the size of a bacterium a. Envelope b. Cristae c. DNA and 70S ribosomes Endoplasmic Reticulum a. Rough ER b. Smooth ER Golgi Apparatus Lysosome Vacuole Microbody (Peroxisome) Plasma Membrane

Plant Cell 1. Cytosol a. Ribosome 80S, Polysome, Proteosome b. Cytoskeleton, Microtubules, Microfilaments c. Centriole 2. Nucleus a. Nuclear Envelope, pores b. Nucleous c. Chromatin, a complex of DNA and protein d. Nucleoplasm 3. Chloroplast, second largest organelle in a plant cell a. Stroma b. Thylakoids c. Envelope d. DNA and 70S ribosomes 4. Mitochondrion a. Stroma b. Envelope c. Cristae d. DNA and 70S ribosomes 5. Endoplasmic Reticulum a. Rough ER b. Smooth ER 6. Golgi Apparatus 7. Vacuole 8. Microbody (Peroxisome, Glyoxysome) 9. Plasma Membrane 10. Cell Wall 3

BCH 5045

GRADUATE SURVEY OF BIOCHEMISTRY a. Primary Wall, Cellulose b. Secondary Wall c. Middle Lamella Intercellular Spaces

FALL 2003

11. C.

Bacterial Cell 1. Cytosol, Ribosome 70S 2. Nuclear Region "Nucleoid", but no nucleus or nuclear envelope 3. No Chloroplast, but some can carry out photosynthesis Photosynthetic membranes 4 No Mitochondrion, all aerobic respiratory functions associated with outer membrane 5. No Endoplasmic Reticulum 6. No Golgi Apparatus 7. Vacuole 8. No Microbody 9. Plasma Membrane 10. Cell Wall a. Peptidoglycan b. Lipopolysaccharide Envelope or Capsule

You should be familiar with all of these terms and understand their importance in the biochemistry of the cell. Why does this compartmentation at the level of the cell exist? Why do eukayotes possess a greater level of compartmentation than prokaryotes? Are there likely to be additional layers of compartmentation at the suborganellar level of cells? What biochemical benefits accrue from compartmentation? How are functions of the various compartments integrated into the overall operation of the cell? How is biochemical information transmitted from one compartment to another? What additional questions arise in your mind? Welcome to BCH 5045, lets make it interesting and fun!