VETERINARY BIOCHEMISTRY

By: Fentaw Hussen(DVM, MSc.,

assistant professor)

To be delivered for 2nd year vet students

 Introduction

Biochemistry

 Is a science of the chemical constituents of living cells

and of the reactions and processes they undergo.

Concerned with the entire spectrum of life forms, from

relatively simple viruses and bacteria to complex animals.

Is the structures, mechanisms and chemical processes

shared by all organisms that underlie life in all its diverse
Molecular logic of life.
 Veterinary biochemistry is the study of cellular
processes at the molecular level of animals.
 Introd’n cont’d…

Biochemistry is emerged as a distinct discipline around

the beginning of the 20th century when scientists
combined chemistry, physiology and biology by;
A. Studying the structure and behavior of the
complex molecules found in biological material
and
B. The ways these molecules interact to form
cells, tissues and whole organism
 Because life depends on biochemical reactions,
biochemistry has become the basic language of all
biologic sciences.
Chemical and biochemical reactions

The difference relied on the chemical phenomenon

where taking place in living cell and non living
matter.

Only about 30 of the more than 90 naturally occurring

chemical elements are essential to organisms.

The four most abundant elements in living organisms (99%

of the mass of most cells).
 Hydrogen
 Oxygen
 Nitrogen
 Carbon
 Scope of biochemistry
Biochemistry encompasses large areas of cell biology.

Genetics Pathology

Physiology Microbiology
Pharmacology Zoology
Toxicology Botany
Oncology
Others
Hierarchical organization of cells and organelles
Organism

Organ system

Organ

Tissue

Cell

Organells

Molecules

Atom(H, O, C, N…)

Sub- atomic particles

Structural Hierarchy in the Molecular Organization of Cells
 Biomolecules

 Are carbon containing molecules present in organisms essential

to some typically biological processes such as;

Cell division

Morphogenesis or

Growth

 H, O, C, and N constitute more than 99% of the atoms in the

animal’s body, with most of the H and O occurring as H2O.

Prevalence of C is due to its unique nature of versatility to form

as many as 4 covalent bonds commonly found linked with C itself,
H, O, and N and produce complex respective molecules.
 The chemistry of living organisms is organized around

carbon, which accounts for more than half the dry

weight of cells.
 Carbon can form single bonds with hydrogen atoms,

and both single and double bonds with oxygen and

nitrogen atoms.
 Of greatest significance in biology is the ability of

carbon atoms to form very stable carbon–carbon single

bonds.
 Cont’d…

Macromolecular structures are constructed from

simple molecules according to a hierarchy of
increasing structural complexity.
The major precursors of biomolecule
Water
Carbon dioxide
Three inorganic nitrogen compounds
oAmmonium (NH4_),
oNitrate (NO3_)
oDinitrogen (N2).
Major classes of biomolecules

Carbohydrates

Proteins

Lipid

Nucleic acid
 Cont’d…

 Biosynthesis of building blocks and their covalent

linkage to construct respective macromolecules.
 Amino acids  proteins
 Monosaccharides  polysaccharides
 Nucleotides  polynucleotides
 Fatty acids and glycerol  lipids.
Interaction of macromolecules  Supramolecular
complexes. E.g. multifunctional enzymes, ribosome,
cellular constituents(membrane).
 Metabolism
An Over view of Metabolism

The word metabolism derives from the Greek word for “change.”

Represents the sum of the chemical changes that convert

nutrients, the raw materials necessary to nourish living organisms,
into energy and the chemically complex finished products of cells.

Metabolism consists of literally hundreds of enzymatic reactions

organized into discrete pathways.

These pathways proceed in a stepwise fashion, transforming

substrates into end products through many specific chemical
intermediates (highly coordinated and purposeful activity).
 Metabolism divided in to two broad classes.
A. Catabolism- degradation of fuel molecules and the production
of energy for cellular function.

B. Anabolism- energy requiring biosynthetic pathways

 Those reactions that require energy such as the synthesis of

glucose, fats, or DNA are called anabolic reactions or anabolism.

 The useful forms of energy produced in catabolism are employed

in anabolism to generate complex structures from simple ones, or

energy-rich states from energy-poor ones.
Breakdown: Proteins to Amino Acids, Starch to Glucose

Synthesis of Amino Acids to Proteins, Glucose to Starch

Chapter 5
 The primary functions of body metabolism are:
a. Acquisition & utilization of energy
b. Synthesis of molecules needed for cell structure and
functioning (i.e. proteins, nucleic acids, lipids, & CHO)
c. Removal of waste products
 Once nutrients are taken, digested and absorbed it will have
three possible fates.
1) Most are used to supply energy for life
2) Some are used to synthesize structural or functional
molecules
3) The rest are stored for future use
 Carbohydrates
Also called saccharides or sugars are the single most
abundant class of organic molecules found in nature.

Energy from the sun captured by green plants, algae,

and some bacteria during photosynthesis.

In turn, carbohydrates are the metabolic precursors of

virtually all other biomolecules. Breakdown of
carbohydrates provides the energy that sustains animal
life.
 1. Major classifications
Carbohydrates are generally classified into three groups:
1. Monosaccharides(building block of CHOs)
2. Oligosaccharides(2-10 Monosaccharides) and

3. Polysaccharides(more complex).
 1. Monosaccharides
Classification
A. Based on carbon number
All Oligosaccharides and polysaccharides arises from the
basic molecular formula (CH2O)n, where n is number of C and
is 3 or more.
If number of C =
 Three  Triose
 Four  Tetrose
 Five  Pentose
 Six  Hexose
 Seven  Heptose Carbonyl group
 Eight  Octose
B. Based on placement of carbonyl group
Carbonyl group consists of a carbon atom which is connected
to an oxygen atom with a double bond.
 Aldose  If carbonyle group is aldehyde
Carbonyl group where one of the attached atoms is a
hydrogen atom(eg. Aldopentose is ribose)
e.g., aldotetroses and, aldopentoses and, aldohexoses
 Ketose  If carbonyle group is ketone
Attached atoms without hydrogen
e.g. ketotetroses, ketopentoses, ketohexoses
Fischer Projections of Trioses
C. Based on structural projection

Linear (Fischer projection)

Cyclic (Haworth projections)

Structural variety of pentose

 2. Oligosaccarides
Oligosaccharides/polysaccarides are built by the linkage of two
or more monosaccharides by O-glycosidic bonds
Disaccharides are the simplest oligosaccharides which consist of
two monosaccharide units linked by a glycosidic bond of which
each individual units in an oligosaccharide are termed as residue.
 3. Polysaccharides
Are also called glycans, consist of monosaccharides and their
derivatives.
 If contains only one kind of monosaccharide molecule, it is a
homopolysaccharide, or homoglycan,
Containing more than one kind of monosaccharide are
heteropolysaccharides.
Glycogen structure
 Biological function of polysaccharides

1. Energy Storage

 Starch (plant)

Glycogen (animal)
 Starch

The most common storage polysaccharide in plants

Glucose homopolymer
Exists in two forms:
 ὰ-amylose  Linear chains of D-glucose & is 10% - 30% in
nature.
 Amylopectin  Branched chain of glucose units & is 70% to
90%.
 Glycogen
The major form of storage polysaccharide in animals
Also a homopolymer of glucose
Has same glycosidic links as amylopectin, but is more
highly branched and has shorter “branches.”
10% of liver mass and 1- 2% of skeletal muscle mass
Glycogen structure
 2. Provide Physical Structure and Strength to
Organisms
Cellulose
Is the most abundant natural polymer in the world.
Found in the cell walls of nearly all plants.
Is a linear homopolymer of glucose units
Woven fibers make some of our most comfortable
clothing fabrics, is almost pure cellulose.
structure of Cellulose
 Chitin

Chitin is the earth’s second most abundant carbohydrate polymer

(after cellulose)
Present in the cell walls of fungi
Fundamental material in the exoskeletons of crustaceans, insects,
and spiders.
Is identical to cellulose, except that the OOH group on each C-2
is replaced by ONHCOCH3.
Hyaluronate: Components
 Vitreous humor in the eye
 Synovial fluid (the lubricant fluid of joints).
Chondroitins and keratan sulfate are found in tendons,
cartilage, and other connective tissue
Peptidoglycan:
 Components of bacterial membrane that maintain cell
shape and size and prevent swelling or shrinkage that
would inevitably accompany variations in solution osmotic
strength.
Bacterial Cell Walls
 The End

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By; Fentaw Hussein