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BIOCHEMISTR

Biochemistry, study of the substances found in


living organisms, and of the chemical reactions
underlying life processes. This science is a branch
of both chemistry and biology; the prefix biocomes from bios, the Greek word for life. The
chief goal of biochemistry is to understand the
structure and behavior of biomolecules. These are
the carbon-containing compounds that make up
the various parts of the living cell and carry out
the chemical reactions that enable it to grow,
maintain and reproduce itself, and use and store
energy.

BIOCHEMISTR
Y

A vast array of biomolecules is present in the cell.


The structure of each biomolecule determines in
what chemical reactions it is able to participate,
and hence what role it plays in the cell's life
processes. Among the most important classes of
biomolecules are nucleic acids, proteins,
carbohydrates, and lipids.
Nucleic acids are responsible for storing and
transferring genetic information. They are
enormous molecules made up of long strands of
subunits, called bases, that are arranged in a
precise sequence. These are read by other
components of the cell and used as a guide in
making proteins.

BIOCHEMISTR
Y

Proteins are large molecules built up of small subunits


called amino acids. Using only 20 different amino acids,
a cell constructs thousands of different proteins, each of
which has a highly specialized role in the cell. The
proteins of greatest interest to biochemists are the
enzymes, which are the worker molecules of the cell.
These enzymes serve as promoters, or catalysts, of
chemical reactions.
Carbohydrates are the basic fuel molecules of the cell.
They contain carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen in
approximately equal amounts. Green plants and some
bacteria use a process known as photosynthesis to
make simple carbohydrates (sugars) from carbon
dioxide, water, and sunlight. Animals, however, obtain
their carbohydrates from foods. Once a cell possesses
carbohydrates, it may break them down to yield
chemical energy or use them as raw material to produce

BIOCHEMISTRY

Lipids are fatty substances that play a variety of roles in the


cell. Some are held in storage for use as high-energy fuel;
others serve as essential components of the cell membrane.
Biomolecules of many other types are also found in cells. These
compounds perform such diverse duties as transporting energy
from one location in the cell to another, harnessing the energy
of sunlight to drive chemical reactions, and serving as helper
molecules (cofactors) for enzyme action. All these biomolecules,
and the cell itself, are in a state of constant change. In fact, a
cell cannot maintain its health unless it is continually forming
and breaking down proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids; repairing
damaged nucleic acids; and using and storing energy. These
active, energy-linked processes of change are collectively called
metabolism. One major aim of biochemistry is to understand
metabolism well enough to predict and control changes that
occur in cells. Biochemical studies have yielded such benefits as
treatments for many metabolic diseases, antibiotics to combat
bacteria, and methods to boost industrial and agricultural
productivity. These advances have been augmented in recent

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