BIOCHEMISTRY

LEARNING OUTCOME
At the end of this session, the students should be able to:
1. Define matter and energy
2. Define atom, element and compound
3. Explain the types of bonds that hold molecules together
4. Describe the structure of the atom
 DEFINATION
• CHEMISTRY
• the branch of science concerned with the substances of which matter is
composed, the investigation of their properties and reactions, and the use of
such reactions to form new substances.

• BIOLOGY
• is the natural science that involves the study of life and living organisms,
including their physical and chemical structure, function, development and
evolution
• BIOCHEMISTRY
• Chemical constituents of living matter.
• Chemical changes which occur in the organism during digestion, absorption
and excretion.
• Chemical changes which occur during growth and multiplication of the
organism.
• Transformation of one form of chemical constituents to the other.
• Energy changes involved in such transformations.
• The chemical reactions necessary to sustain life occur in the cells.
Matter
• Anything that takes up space and has mass which is composed of elements
• Matter can exist in several states, also called phases.
• The three most common states are known as solid, liquid and gas.
• Where our bones are solid, our bloods are liquid and oxygens are gases
 CHARACTERISTICS OF MATTER IN
SOLID, LIQUID AND GASEOUS STATE
Characteristics Solid Liquid Gas

Particles are arranged in orderly manner and Particles are not arranged in order. The space The particles are very far apart and randomly
Arrangement of Particles
close to one another. between particles is moderately large. arrange.

Particles move randomly and slowly and The particles move randomly in all directions at
Movement of Particles Particles vibrate at fixed positions.
sometimes will collide against each other. great speed.

Force of Attraction
very strong Strong but weaker than in the solid state. very weak
between particles

Very difficult to be compressed because the Not easily compressed because the particles are Easily compressed because the particles are
Ability to be compressed
particles are packed closely. packed quite closely. very far apart.

Volume Fixed Fixed Follows the container

Highest
Heat Energy content Lowest Energy Content Moderate energy content.
energy content
Shape Fixed Follows the container Fills the whole container
• A physical change occurs when we chew a piece of food and it breaks
down into smaller pieces
• A chemical change occurs when the food is acted by chemicals in the
body to change its composition or to digest it.
Energy
Energy is defined in science as the ability to do work.
Although energy is conserved, there are many different types of energy, such
as kinetic energy, potential energy, light, sound, and nuclear energy.
One form of energy may be converted into another without violating a law of
thermodynamics.
A person at rest or stationary is said to have highest amount of potential
energy.
A person doing work is said to have some amount of kinetic energy.
 ATOMS MOLECULES AND IONS
Atoms- smallest particle of an element that still behaves like the element
Molecules- particle formed when two or more atoms chemically combine
Ions – an atom or molecule with a net electric charge due to the loss or gain
of one or more electrons.
HISTORY OF ATOM
 ATOMIC MODEL
• According to the modern atomic model,
The central nucleus consists of protons and neutrons. It containing almost all
the mass of the atom.
• the nucleus of an atom is very small compared to the size of the atom
• the electrons are orbiting outside the nucleus in the electron shells
• the electrons are moving in electron shells at a very high speed and we
cannot determine the position of the electrons at a particular time
 SUBATOMIC PARTICLE OF AN
ATOM
Particl Symbo Relative Relative
e l charge mass
Proton p +1 1
1.Atoms are made up of tiny particles called subatomic particles. Neutro n 0 1
2.An atom contains three types of subatomic particles: n
a.proton, Electro e -1 1/1840
b.neutron and n
c.electron,
3.The proton and neutron form the nucleus at the center of an atom. They are also called the nucleon of
an atom.
4.The electron moves around the nucleus at a very high speed.
5.The nucleus is positively charged because of the presence of protons, which are positively charged. The
neutrons are neutral.
6.The symbols, charge and relative masses of proton, neutron and electron are as below.
 ELEMENTS
Composed of chemically identical atoms
• An element is a substance that consists of only one type of atom.
• Element can be either atoms or molecules.
- Bulk elements- required by the body in large amounts
- Trace elements- required b the body in small amounts
- EXAMPLE

Both the iron and oxygen are element because they consist of only one type of atoms)
 COMPOUND

• Particle formed when two or more atoms of different elements chemically

combine
• A compound is made up of either molecules or ions.
• Example

(Both the sodium chloride and carbon dioxide are compound because they
consist of more than one type of atoms)
 BULK ELEMENTS
SPONCH- Are the main elements of life
97% of the elements in living things
Sulfer
Phosphorus
Oxygen
Nitrogen
Carbon
Hydrgen
 ELEMENTS
• 20 elements that are found in small amounts
• Play important roles in the body’s processes
• Oxygen (65%) and hydrogen (10%) are predominantly found in water, which makes up
about 60 percent of the body by weight. It's practically impossible to imagine life without
water.
• Carbon (18%) is synonymous with life. Its central role is due to the fact that it has four
bonding sites that allow for the building of long, complex chains of molecules. Moreover,
carbon bonds can be formed and broken with a modest amount of energy, allowing for
the dynamic organic chemistry that goes on in our cells.
• Nitrogen (3%) is found in many organic molecules, including the amino acids that make
up proteins, and the nucleic acids that make up DNA.
• Calcium (1.5%) is the most common mineral in the human body — nearly all of it found in
bones and teeth. Ironically, calcium's most important role is in bodily functions, such as
muscle contraction and protein regulation. In fact, the body will actually pull calcium
from bones (causing problems like osteoporosis) if there's not enough of the element in a
person's diet.
• Phosphorus (1%) is found predominantly in bone but also in the molecule ATP, which
provides energy in cells for driving chemical reactions.
• Sulfur (0.25%) is found in two amino acids that are important for giving proteins their
shape.
• Sodium (0.15%) is another electrolyte that is vital for electrical signalling in nerves. It
also regulates the amount of water in the body.
• Chlorine (0.15%) is usually found in the body as a negative ion, called chloride. This
electrolyte is important for maintaining a normal balance of fluids.
• Magnesium (0.05%) plays an important role in the structure of the skeleton and
muscles. It also is necessary in more than 300 essential metabolic reactions.
• Iron (0.006%) is a key element in the metabolism of almost all living organisms. It is
also found in haemoglobin, which is the oxygen carrier in red blood cells. Half of
women don't get enough iron in their diet.
• Fluorine (0.0037%) is found in teeth and bones. Outside of preventing tooth decay, it
does not appear to have any importance to bodily health.
• Zinc (0.0032%) is an essential trace element for all forms of life. Several proteins contain
structures called "zinc fingers" help to regulate genes. Zinc deficiency has been known to
lead to dwarfism in developing countries.
• Copper (0.0001%) is important as an electron donor in various biological reactions.
Without enough copper, iron won't work properly in the body.
• Iodine (0.000016%) is required for making of thyroid hormones, which regulate metabolic
rate and other cellular functions. Iodine deficiency, which can lead to goiter and brain
damage, is an important health problem throughout much of the world.
• Selenium (0.000019%) is essential for certain enzymes, including several anti-oxidants.
Unlike animals, plants do not appear to require selenium for survival, but they do absorb
it, so there are several cases of selenium poisoning from eating plants grown in selenium-
rich soils.
• Chromium (0.0000024%) helps regulate sugar levels by interacting with insulin, but
the exact mechanism is still not completely understood.

• Manganese (0.000017%) is essential for certain enzymes, in particular those that

protect mitochondria — the place where usable energy is generated inside cells —
from dangerous oxidants.

• Molybdenum (0.000013%) is essential to virtually all life forms. In humans, it is

important for transforming sulphur into a usable form. In nitrogen-fixing bacteria, it is
important for transforming nitrogen into a usable form.

• Cobalt (0.0000021%) is contained in vitamin B12, which is important in protein

formation and DNA regulation.
 CHEMICAL REACTION
• Reactions
A chemical reaction is when one or more substances are changing into other
substances.
Chemical reactions are evidenced by the disappearance of characteristics of
the starting substances and the appearance of new properties that identify
the products
The reaction of two or more elements together results in the formation of a
chemical bond between atoms and the formation of a chemical compound.
• Typical chemical reactions including burning, decay , fermentation,
corrosion of steel and digestion of food.
• The law of conservation of mass states there is no loss of mass in the reaction
process.
• If liquid water is boiled, it is still water; likewise frozen water, or ice, is still water.
• Melting, boiling or freezing simply by the application of a change in
temperature are examples of physical changes, because they do not affect
the internal composition of the item or items removed
• A chemical change, on the other hand, occurs when the actual
composition changes – that’s is, when one substance is transformed into
another.
• Water can be chemically changed, for instance, when an electric current is
run through a sample, separating it into oxygen and hydrogen gas.
• Chemical change requires a chemical reaction, a process whereby the
chemical properties of substance are altered by a rearrangement of the
atoms in the substance.
ELECTROLYSIS
 TITRATION
• Another type of reaction is an acid-base reaction, in which an acid is mixed
with a base, resulting in the formation of water along with salt.
REACTION OF ACID