Biochemistry

Contents:

  1. What is Chemistry?

  2. What Organic Chemicals make up living organisms?

What it Chemistry?

     A. chemistry- the study of matter and the changes it undergoes. (Chemical reactions)

        1. matter- something containing mass (weight) and matter: (takes up space)

           solids liquids and gases

a.       categories of matter

          1. substances � 2 kinds

             a. elements- made of one type of atom and cannot be broken down chemically

                 examples: H, N, S, C, O, P,

b.      compounds- made of 2 or more elements and can be broken down chemically

examples: H2O NACL C6H1206 CO2 CH4 NH3

           2. Atom- smallest part of an element that retains the properties of that element

               Subatomic particles- protons, neutrons, and electrons protons and neutrons are in the nucleus and the electrons are in the shell/cloud.

           3. Chemical Reactions

              AB     �   CD

              Reactants  � Products

           4. why do atoms react?

              Atoms bond to become stable- that they have 8 electrons in there outer layer

              Old names for noble gases were inert gases these are the gasses that are stable and don�t need to react.

           5. there are two types of bonds to use in a reaction for an atom to become stable

              A) transfer of electron (an inorganic bond) in which charged particles interact with each other and one gives an electron and another one takes.

               B) covalent bond (organic) the sharing of electrons.

          6. inorganic bonds are very fast while organic are very slow

               a. organic substances contain both hydrogen and carbon together

                b. inorganic doesn�t contain both hydrogen and carbon together

            7. water is considered to be the most important inorganic substance why?

                a. 90% of a cell

                b. adhesive/ cohesive sticky

                c. biological processes take place in it

                d. universal solvent

                e. high specific heat takes a long time to heat and cool.

        

 

               Acids and Bases

   < ---------------------------------------->            

    0                            7                             14

    acid                     neutral                     base

 

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What organic chemicals are living organisms made of?

 

A.  Carbohydrates

1.      Elements: Carbon (C), Hydrogen (H), Oxygen (O)

�         Ratio: 2 hydrogen: 1 oxygen

Examples: C6H12O6, C12H22O11

2.      Building Blocks: Glucose/Simple Sugars/Monosaccharide/ C6H12O6

3.      Monosaccharide

A.    Properties:

�         Good source of energy

�         Soluble

�         Sweet

B.     Isomers: Same molecule formula but different structural formulas

�         Glucose (hexagon shaped)

�         Fructose (Pentagon shaped)

�         Galactose

C.     Monosaccharides: Building block of carbohydrates

 

4.      Disaccharides: Two monosaccharides

      C12H22O11   � Expected: C12H24O12

                                                    Actual: C12H22O11 + H2O (water)

A.    Dehydration Synthesis: This is the process when small molecules are combined to make a larger molecule by removing water.

 

C6H12O6 + C6H12O6   � C12H22O11 + H2O

 

B.     Hydrolysis: This is the process when a larger molecule is broken down into two smaller molecules by adding water.

 

C12H22O11 + H2O   �  C6H12O6 + C6H12O6

 

5.      Polysaccharides: They are formed or separated by dehydration synthesis or hydrolysis.

�         Functional:

B.     Starch: plants-storage form of carbohydrates (insoluble/high energy)

C.     Glycogen: animals-storage form of glucose

�         Structural:

D.    Cellulose: plants-located on cell wall

E.     Chitin: animals-exoskeleton (outer skeletal) of arthropods (joint feet)

 

B.   Lipids- fats, oils (waxes, steroids)

  1. Elements: Carbon (C), Hydrogen (H), Oxygen (O)

�         No special ration however there is more H than O.

  1. Building Blocks: glycerol + 3 fatty acids

�         Organic Acid Group = Carboxyl Group

�         -COOH

      

  1. Dehydration Synthesis & Hydrolysis

                                     Dehydration Synthesis

                                           ----------------->

Glycerol + 3 fatty acids     Lipid + 3H2O

                          <----------

                            Hydrolysis

 

  1. Properties/Uses

�         Insoluble (hydrophobic-hates water)

�         Excellent source of energy/also storage

�         Protection: (1) insulation, (2) cushion shock absorber, (3) lubricant

�         Makes up part of the cell membrane

 

  1. Essential fatty acids-necessary in diet

  2. Saturated VS. Unsaturated

 

 

Saturated Fats

Unsaturated Fats

    

    H H H H H

H-C-C-C-C-C = O

    H H  H H H       OH

 

                      H

H-C = C-C = C-C = O

                               OH

 

Single, covalent bond between carbons only

Double or triple covalent bonds between carbon atoms

Filled to capacity with H

Not filled to capacity with H

FATS-solid at room temperature

OILS- liquid at room temperature

Unhealthy

Healthy

  • Red meat

  • Whole milk products

  • Vegetable, Fish, Poultry

  • Skim milk products

 

 

 

 

 

C.  Nucleic Acids-DNA & RNA

1.      Elements: Carbon (C), Hydrogen (H), Oxygen (O), Nitrogen (N), Phosphorous (P)

2.      Building Blocks: Nucleotides

D.  Proteins

1.      Elements: Carbon (C), Hydrogen (H), Oxygen (O), Nitrogen (N), Sulfur (S)

2.      Building Blocks: Amino acid

        

�         20 different amino acids in humans

�         8 essential amino acids � cannot be made by body � must be made in diet

 

3.      Dehydration Synthesis & Hydrolysis

�         Peptide Bond: covalent bond between two amino acids

�         Polypeptide: chain of amino acids (has many peptide bonds in it)

�         Polymer: long chain of repeating subunits

�         Monomer: individual subunits

                    

4.      Types

a.       Structural: hair, nails, muscle, teeth, bone, skin

b.      Functional: cell membrane (transport, receptors), hemoglobin (transports oxygen), antibodies (fights infection), enzymes (protein catalysts-control reaction)

5.      Proteins come in many structures/shapes. It is determined by the number, order, and kind of amino acids in the chain. One or more polypeptide chains twist around itself in a three-dimensional shape.

6.      ENZYMES: Protein catalyst = controls the rate of (organic) chemical reactions.

a.       Amino acids, one or more polypeptide chains

b.      Enzymes may be protein only, or a protein and non portion � Vitamins!

c.       Highly specific (right enzyme to work on right substrate)

d.      Substrate- material the enzyme acts on

e.       Active Site- part of the enzyme that acts on the substrate

f.       Substrate must �fit� into the active site of enzyme (shape)

g.      Enzyme is unchanged by the reaction-therefore is it reusable and needed only in small amounts.

     

 

h.      Factors that affect enzyme activity

 

                                                  i.            Temperature

   

Because the enzyme was denatured its shape permanently changed. Now the substrate no longer fits.

 

                                                ii.            PH

                               

On either side of the PH optimum, the enzyme activity drops because the shape of the enzyme changed.

 

                                              iii.            Concentration

                              

                              The enzyme concentration is constant. (Maintain level is saturated.)

           

 

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