Introduction

• Biochemists discuss chemistry with biologists,

and biology with chemists, thereby confusing
both groups. Among themselves, they talk
about baseball. –Anonymous
 What is biochemistry?
• Biochemistry can be defined as the science
concerned with the chemical basis of life (Gk
bios “life”).
• The cell is the structural unit of living systems.
Thus, biochemistry can also be described as
the science concerned with the chemical
constituents of living cells and with the
reactions and processes they undergo.
 What is biochemistry?
• Biochemistry is a hybrid science:
• Biology is the science of living organisms and
chemistry is the science of atoms and
molecules, so biochemistry is the science of
the atoms and molecules in living organisms.
• Its domain encompasses all the living world
with the unifying interest in the chemical
structures and reactions that occur in living
systems.
 Biochemistry underlies ordinary life in unseen ways

• For example, take a middle-aged man

– Takes a drug to lower his serum cholesterol. That drug
was developed by a pharmaceutical company’s
biochemists to inhibit a key enzyme involved in
cholesterol biosynthesis
– Shaves with a cream containing compounds that
soften his beard. These active agents were developed
after studies of the physical properties of keratin, the
protein in hair.
– Wears a shirt made from pest-resistant cotton. The
cotton plants were bioengineered by biochemists
through the transfer of genes from a bacterium into
plants.
All these everyday events depend on an understanding of the
chemistry of living systems
 Aim of Biochemistry
• The major objective of biochemistry is the
complete understanding, at the molecular
level, of all of the chemical processes
associated with living cells.
• To achieve this objective, biochemists have
sought to isolate the numerous molecules
found in cells, determine their structures, and
analyze how they function.
 Most if not all diseases are manifestations
of abnormalities of molecules, chemical reactions,
or biochemical processes
The major causes of diseases. All of the causes listed act by influencing the
various biochemical mechanisms in the cell or in the body
Some uses of biochemical investigations and
laboratory tests in relation to diseases.
Distinguishing features of living organisms

• A high degree of chemical complexity and

microscopic organization.
– Thousands of different molecules make up a cell’s
intricate internal structures
• Systems for extracting, transforming, and
using energy from the environment
– enabling organisms to build and maintain their
intricate structures and to do mechanical,
chemical, osmotic, and electrical work
• A capacity for precise self-replication and
self-assembly
– A single bacterial cell placed in a sterile nutrient
medium can give rise to a billion identical
“daughter” cells in 24 hours.
• Mechanisms for sensing and responding to
alterations in their surroundings, constantly
– adjusting to these changes by adapting their
internal chemistry.
• Defined functions for each of their
components and regulated interactions
among them
– The interplay among the chemical components of
a living organism is dynamic; changes in one
component cause coordinating or compensating
changes in another, with the whole ensemble
displaying a character beyond that of its individual
parts.
• A history of evolutionary change.
– Organisms change their inherited life strategies to
survive in new circumstances
 Cellular Foundations
• The smallest organisms consist of single cells
and are microscopic.
• Larger, multicellular organisms contain many
different types of cells, which vary in size,
shape, and specialized function.
• Despite these obvious differences, all cells of
the simplest and most complex organisms
share certain fundamental properties, which
can be seen at the biochemical level.
• On the basis of their biochemical
characteristics, the diverse organisms of the
modern world can be divided into three
fundamental groups called domains:
1) Eukarya (eukaryotes),
2) Bacteria (formerly Eubacteria), and
prokaryotes
3) Archaea (formerly Archaebacteria).
Tree of life
• Eubacteria inhabit soils, surface waters, and
the tissues of other living or decaying
organisms.
– Most of the well studied bacteria, including
Escherichia coli, are eubacteria.
• The archaebacteria, more recently discovered,
are less well characterized biochemically; most
inhabit extreme environments—salt lakes, hot
springs, highly acidic bogs, and the ocean
depths.
 Cells are the Structural and Functional Units of all
Living Organisms

• Cells of all kinds share certain structural features

– The plasma membrane defines the periphery of the
cell, separating its contents from the surroundings.
– The internal volume bounded by the plasma
membrane, the cytoplasm , is composed of an
aqueous solution, the cytosol, and a variety of
suspended particles with specific functions
– All cells have, for at least some part of their life, either
a nucleus or a nucleoid, in which the genome— the
complete set of genes, composed of DNA—is stored
and replicated
• The nucleoid, in bacteria, is not separated from the
cytoplasm by a membrane; the nucleus, in higher
organisms, consists of nuclear material enclosed within
a double membrane, the nuclear envelope.
• Cells with nuclear envelopes are called eukaryotes
(Greek eu, “true,” and karyon, “nucleus”); those
without nuclear envelopes—bacterial cells—are
prokaryotes (Greek pro, “before”).
• In comparison with the prokaryotes, eukaryotic cells
have greater specialization and complexity in their
structure and functioning.
• Eukaryotic cells are structured into compartments
 Structure of an animal cell
• The eukaryotic cell is subdivided by
membranes.
– On the outside, it is enclosed by a plasma
membrane.
– Inside the cell, there is a large space containing
numerous components in solution—the
cytoplasm.
– Additional membranes divide the internal space
into compartments (confined reaction spaces).
– Well defined compartments of this type are
known as organelles.
 Organelles
• Ribosomes are protein synthesizing machines
• Peroxisome destroys peroxides
• Cytoskeleton supports cell, aids in movement of
organelles
• Lysosome degrades intracellular debris
• Transport vesicle shuttles lipids and proteins
between ER, Golgi, and plasma membrane
• Golgi complex processes, packages, and targets
proteins to other organelles or for export
• Nucleus contains the genes (chromatin)
• Smooth endoplasmic reticulum (SER) is site of
lipid synthesis and drug metabolism
• Rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER) is site of
much protein synthesis
• Nucleolus is site of ribosomal RNA synthesis
• Nuclear envelope segregates chromatin (DNA
+ protein) from cytoplasm
• Plasma membrane separates cell from
environment, regulates movement of
materials into and out of cell
• Mitochondrion oxidizes fuels to produce ATP