Zhihong Li

Department of Biochemistry
Lecture 1
Introduction to Biochemistry

Introduction

What is the Biochemistry?

History and development

How to study Biochemistry?

1. Biochemistry

Definition: The chemistry of life

The science concerned with the chemical

basis of life

The science concerned with the various

molecules that occur in living cells and
organisms and with their chemical reaction

!nything more than a superficial

comprehension of life " in all its diverse
manifestation # demands a $nowledge of
biochemistry


Biochemistry

!im: to describe and e%plain& in

molecular terms& all chemical
processes of living cells

'tructure#function

(etabolism and )egulation

How life began

Biochemistry

'ignificance: be essential to all life

sciences as the common $nowledge

*enetics+ ,ell biology+ (olecular biology

-hysiology and .mmunology

-harmacology and -harmacy

To%icology+ -athology+ (icrobiology

Zoology and Botany

Biochemistry

(edical students who ac/uire a sound

$nowledge of biochemistry will be in a
strong position to deal with two central
concerns of the health sciences:
012 the understanding and maintenance of
health
032 the understanding and effective
treatment of disease

,auses of cancers

(olecular lesions causing various genetic

diseases

)ational design of new drugs

2. History and development of
Biochemistry
1456& 7euberg
0*erman2: 8Biochemistry9
8,hemistry of Life9


Two notable breakthroughs
012 Discovery of the role of en:ymes
as catalysts
032 .dentification of nucleic acids as
information molecules
;low of information: from nucleic acids to proteins
D7! )7! -rotein

.n 146< =rebs for the discovery of the

,itric !cid ,ycle#won the 7obel -ri:e in
-hysiology or (edicine in 14>6

.n 14>6 Watson ? ,ric$ for the discovery

of the 8D7! Double Heli%9 #won the 7obel
-ri:e in -hysiology or (edicine in 14@3
Some historic events

.n 14>> 'anger for the determination of

insulin se/uence# won the 7obel -ri:e in
-hysiology or (edicine in 14>@

.n 14A5 'anger ? *ilbert for 'e/uencing

of D7!#won the 7obel -ri:e in ,hemistry in
14A5

.n 1446& =ary B (ullis for invention of -,)

method #won the 7obel -ri:e in ,hemistry in
1446


Gene engineering
Clone
Transgenic
animal
Green luorescence protein


HGP from 1990 com!leted in "00#


#.$hat dose the Biochemistry
discuss%

structure and function of cellular

components

proteins& carbohydrates& lipids& nucleic

acids and other biomolecules

(etabolism and )egulation

*ene e%pression and modulation

!"# $"# %rotein


Polymers and &onomers

Bach of these types of molecules are

polymers that are assembled from
single units called monomers

Bach type of macromolecule is an

assemblage of a different type of
monomer


(acromolecule
,arbohydrates
Lipids
-roteins
7ucleic acids
(onomer
(onosaccharide
7ot always polymers+
Hydrocarbon chains
!mino acids
7ucleotides


How do monomers form
!olymers%

.n condensation
reactions 0also
called dehydration
synthesis2& a
molecule of water
is removed from
two monomers as
they are connected
together

Building bloc$

'imple sugar

!mino acid

7ucleotide

;atty acid

(acromolecule

-olysaccharide

-rotein 0peptide2

)7! or D7!

Lipid
Anabolic
Catabolic


'. (ells

Basic building bloc$s of life

'mallest living unit of an organism

! cell may be an entire organism 0unicellular2

or it may be one of billions of cells that
ma$e up the organism 0multicellular2

*row& reproduce& use energy& adapt& respond

to their environment

(any cannot be seen with the na$ed eye

a typical cell si:e is 15Cm+ a typical cell mass is

1nanogram2


(ells &ay be Prokaryotic or )ukaryotic

-ro$aryotes 0*ree$: pro#before+

$aryon#nucleus2 include various
bacteria

lac$ a nucleus or membrane#bound

structures called organelles

Bu$aryotes 0*ree$: eu#true+ $aryon#

nucleus2 include most other cells
0plants& fungi& ? animals2

have a nucleus and membrane#bound

organelles


E,ell membrane ? cell wall
E7ucleoid region contains the D7!
,ontain ribosomes 0no membrane2
E ,ell (embrane
E 7ucleus
,ytoplasm with organelles




(haracteristic Bio*membranes and +rganelles
(itochondria# the power generators
Mitochondria (Greek: mitos-thread; chondros-granule):
'urrounded by a double membrane with a series of
folds called cristae ;unctions in energy production
through metabolism ,ontains its own D7!
-lasma (embrane#,ellFs defining boundary
-roviding a barrier and containing
transport and signaling systems
7ucleus " ,ellFs information center
Double membrane surrounding the chromosomes and
the nucleolus The place where almost all D7!
replication and )7! synthesis occur The nucleolus is
a site for synthesis of )7! ma$ing up the ribosome


)ough endoplasmic reticulum 0)B)2
,overed with ribosomes 0causing the GroughG
appearance2 which are in the process of
synthesi:ing proteins for secretion or
locali:ation in membranes
)ibosomes
-rotein and )7! comple% responsible for
protein synthesis
'mooth endoplasmic reticulum 0'B)2
! site for synthesis and metabolism of lipids
&ndoplasmic reticulum '&$( ) The transport net*or+ for molecules


,ytoplasm
enclosed by the plasma membrane& li/uid
portion called cytosol and it houses the
membranous organelles
Lysosomes#contain digestive en:yme
! membrane bound organelle that is
responsible for degrading proteins and
membranes in the cell
*olgi apparatus #process and pac$age the
macromolecules
! series of stac$ed membranes Hesicles
carry materials from the )B) to the *olgi
apparatus Hesicles move between the stac$s
while the proteins are GprocessedG to a
mature form


,. Biomolecules

Iust li$e cells are building bloc$s of tissues&

biomolecules are building bloc$s of cells

!nimal and plant cells contain appro%imately

15&555 $inds of biomolecules

Water constitutes >5#4>J of cells content by

weight

.ons li$e 7a
K
& =
K
and ,a
3K
may account for
another 1J

!lmost all other $inds of biomolecules are

organic 0,& H& 7& L& -& '2

Lrganic compounds are compounds composed

primarily of a ,arbon s$eleton


(arbon

,arbon is more abundant in living

organisms than it is in the rest of the
universe

What ma$es ,arbon 'pecial? Why is

,arbon so different from all the other
elements on the periodic table?

The answer derives from the ability of

,arbon atoms to bond together to form
long chains and rings


(arbon can form immensely di-erse
com!ounds from sim!le to com!le..
,ethane *ith 1
Car-on atom
!"# *ith tens of Billions
of Car-on atoms


Biomolecules
are
compounds
of car-on
*ith a variety
of functional
groups


Ty!es of biomolecules

'mall molecules:

Lipid& phospholipid& glycolipid& sterol&

Hitamin

Hormone& neurotransmitter

,arbohydrate& sugar

(onomers:

!mino acids

7ucleotides

(onosaccharides

-olymers:

-eptides& oligopeptides& polypeptides& proteins

7ucleic acids& ie D7!& )7!

Lligosaccharides& polysaccharides 0including

cellulose2


(hemical com!osition of a normal man
/weight 0, kg1
,onstituent -ercent 0J2 Weight 0$g2
Water @1@ M5
-rotein 1<5 11
Lipid 16A 4
,arbohydrate 1> 1
(inerals @1 M


Structural hierarchy in the molecular organi.ation of cells


2imilarities among all ty!es of cells

!ll cells use nucleic acids 0D7!2 to store

information

B%cept )7! viruses& but not true cells

0incapable of autonomous replication2

!ll cells use nucleic acids 0)7!2 to access

stored information

!ll cells use proteins as catalysts 0en:ymes2 for

chemical reactions

! few e%amples of )7! based en:ymes& which may

reflect primordial use of )7!

!ll cells use lipids for membrane components

Different types of lipids in different types of cells

!ll cells use carbohydrates for cell walls 0if

present2& recognition& and energy generation

,arbohydrates

Lipids

-roteins

7ucleic !cids
1 Nou are e%pected
to learn the
structure and
functions of these
organic compounds:
How much biochemistry do you need to
know for this course%
3 Nou will be e%pected to learn the basic biochemical
processes of maOor cell functions& such as respiration&
protein synthesis and so on



Topics
1
Introduction amino acid and !rotein /3h1
2 4ucleic acid5 2tructure and !ro!erties /'h1
3 (arbohydrates5 2tructure and !ro!erties /"h1
4
6itamins and coen7ymes /'h1
5
)n7ymes /0h1
6
&etabolism of carbohydrates /3h1
7
8ssessment
8
Bioenergetics /'h1
9
&etabolism of li!ids /3h1
10
&etabolism of amino acids /0h1
11
Integration of metabolism and re-iew/"h1


P 'atyanarayana& Biochemistry
(urray )=& HarperFs .llustrated
Biochemistry& 3@th ed
7elson DL and ,o% (( Lehninger
-rinciples of Biochemistry& >
th
ed
355A
/. Te0t -oo+ and references


.nspiring interest& confidence
-reviewing and reviewing freshly
Ta$ing studying notes
Discussing in groups
-ractice& crosstal$ with other subOects
(a$ing use of internet
1. Some tips for study of -iochemistry

2ust do as some prover-s say3
8. hear& and . forget&
. see& and . remember&
. do& and . understand9
8-ractice ma$es perfect9
87o pains& no gains9


9inal theory grade

;inal theory gradeQ

;irst !ssessment: 65R6>J

;inal e%am: M>R>5J

Daily performance: 35J

7otice: 1S6 absent& can not ta$e part

in the final e%am