Biochemistry chemistry of life at a molecular level; multidisciplinary nature

which allows one to answer questions about the molecular nature of life
processes; crossroad between biological and physical sciences
2 Types of Nucleic Acids:
1. DNA
2. RNA
Importance:
1. Leads to a fundamental understanding of life digestion, energy from
foods, transfer and storage of genetic information
2. Impact on health, medicine, nutrition, and environment
3. Biotechnology synthesis of complex drugs, use of microbes to produce
therapeutic drugs, alternative sources of energy
3 Primary areas to describe biological processes:
1. Structure/function
2. Information
3. Biogenetics metabolism
2 Classes of Organisms:
1. Eukaryotes exhibit compartmentalization; plant and animal cells; with
nucleus; cell organelles; only animal cell and prokaryotes have a cell
membrane
2. Prokaryotes bacteria; nucleoid (without nucleus); does not exhibit
compartmentalization
DNA genetic material
Nucleolus most of RNA synthesis
Nucleus site of DNA & RNA
Pili attachment/adhesion
Cell wall supports; protects structure of all; acts as a filtering mechanism
Flagella movement; locomotion
Cell-membrane semi-permeable

Representati
ve organism
Cellular
organization
Metabolism
Degree
Genetic
material

Prokaryotes
Bacteria; bluegreen algae
Mainly unicellular
Anaerobic/
aerobic
Minimum
Naked (no
proteins)
DNA circular
(plasmic)

Eukaryotes
Protists; protozoa;
plants & animals;
fungi
Uni- to multi-cellular
Aerobic
Considerable/
Compartmentalization
DNA (linear) with
histones (basic
proteins)

Ribosomes

Cytoplasm
Reproduction
Degree of
glycosylation

RNA & protein

synthesized in
same
compartment
No cytoskeleton
Asexual
Does not occur

RNA inside nucleus;

proteins (cytoplasm;
ribosomes)
With cytoskeleton
Sexual
occurs

Glycosylation packaging sugar with other biomolecules

Golgi apparatus site of synthesis of carbohydrates; where glycosylation takes
place
Glycoproteins proteins and carbohydrates are packaged; important in
intercellular recognition/communication
Organelle only if eurkaryotic (compartmentalization)
Differential heaviest precipitates first; test for marker
Centrifugation separates cell organelles from each other; uses centrifuge

Organelles
Plasma
Membrane
Nucleus/Nucleolus
Endoplasmic
Reticulum
Golgi apparatus

Cytoskeleton
Ribosomes
Mitochondrion
*oxidation
reaction occurs in
mitochondria
*dehydrogenate
enzyme from
dehydrogenation
(removal of H)
Chloroplast

Lysosome only

Function
Protection; site of
regulatory
mechanism
Synthesis of RNA
and DNA
Rough proteins
Smooth lipids
Sorting,
processing,
packaging
secretory
products
Maintenance of
cell
Proteins
Energy-producing
organelle

Biomolecule
Lipids, proteins,
carbohydrates

Marker
Na+/K+ ATPase

Nucleic acids,
proteins, lipids
RNA, proteins,
lipids
Proteins,
carbohydrates,
lipids

DNA

RNA and proteins

Proteins,
enzymes,
carbohydrates,
lipids

RNA
Glutamate
dehydrogenate

Site of
photosynthesis
(light to chemical)
Intracellular

Protein, enzymes,
carbohydrates,
lipids
Hydrolytic

Chlorophyll

Glucose-6phosphatase
Galactosyltransfer
ase *galactosesugar in golgi
apparatus

Proteins

Acid phosphatase

in animal cells
Peroxisomes
microbodies
*oxidation of very
long chain of fatty
> acids
Cytosol soluble
protein of
cytoplasm

Vacuole

digestion
Oxidation of very
long chain of fatty
acids

enzymes
Oxidative
enzymes

H2O2 (toxic) >

Catalase (enzyme
> which makes
it nontoxic)
Proteins, enzymes

hydrolase
Catalase

H2O + O2

Glycolysis;
gluconeogenesis
synthesis of
glucose; fatty acid
synthesis
Stores water for
other organisms

Lactate
dehydrogenase

Integral protein traverses the lipid bilayer

Peripheral protein- attached to integral protein
Oligosaccharide shorter than polysaccharide
Glycolipid carbohydrate & lipid
Glycoprotein carbohydrate & protein
Cholesterol- fragility of plasma membrane
*only animal cells have cholesterol in plasma membrane; semi-premeable
DNA (central dogma of molecular biology) > mRNA > (translation) proteins
*template is DNA
*synthesis of DNA from DNA (replication/duplication)
*synthesis of RNA from DNA (transcription)
6 RNA (3 given)
1. mRNA
2. tRNA
3. rRNA

Ribosomes where translation occurs; located in the cytoplasm

*mRNA will move out of the nucleus to the ribosomes
Cellulose polysaccharide in which cell wall is rich
Dietary fiber hydrogen bonding; hydroxyl; provides right consistency for
feces; trapping excess cholesterol
*mitochondria has DNA
*chloroplasts has its own DNA and ribosomes; has water membranes