BIOCHEMISTRY

By : Ms. Zajada C. Balono, RN, MN

Chapter 1

The Nature of Biochemistry

Biochemistry is the study of compounds, chemical reactions, and molecular
interactions that are involved in the production, maintenance and reproduction
of living organisms. Like all scientific endeavours, it operates on the premise
that all interactions that occur in the physical universe follow certain fixed
rules. To discover these rules, natural scientists use the specific scientific
method that requires straight and logical thinking. Man’s knowledge in
Biochemistry grows with the realization that some of our current ideas may
need to be modified or even discarded in favour of another, as more and more
information is learned about the molecular basis of life. Evolution has led to
millions of diverse life forms and multiple life processes have been found to
proceed in unanticipated and wondrous ways.

Growing biochemical knowledge will set the pace in the search for the
prevention and treatment of heart disease, cancer, genetic diseases,
periodontal disease, nutritional deficiencies, infectious diseases, and other
health disorders. Present biochemical knowledge has come up with
mechanisms on how oncogenes convert normal cells, how aspirin lowers body
temperature, and how AZT inhibits the growth of the AIDS virus.

Along with the ability to prevent and treat health-related problems comes the
ability to manipulate and modify life forms. This raises a lot of moral and
ethical questions and one needs to recognize its perils as well as its promise.

The Cellular Basis of Life (Attributes of Life)

Some characteristics of living things that ensure survival are:

1. Adaptation or the presence of body structures that make living

things fit to live in its habitat. Example : Penguin eggs hatch
despite temperatures below zero because penguin parents have
folds of skin overlapping their feet. These skin folds are provided
with special blood vessels and the eggs are tucked inside these
folds to keep them warm, even if outside temperature plunges
below zero.

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2. Growth and repair. Growth is the ability toad new tissue, while
repair is the ability to replace damaged parts.

3. Reproduction or the ability to beget offsprings, ensuring

propagation and continuance of the species.

4. Metabolism or the biological and chemical activities or

functions that provide energy. Constructive metabolism is called
anabolism, while destructive metabolism is catabolism.

5. Complexity and organization. Complexity refers to elaborate

structures needed to carry out laborious functions like
metabolism. Organization is putting the different body structures
into order, so that the organism can function effectively and
efficiently.

6. Regulation or the ability to keep the functions under control

through the use of substances like hormones and enzymes.

7. All living organisms possess a characteristic of size and shape,

that is an ant can never become as an elephant.

8. Responsiveness to stimuli or sensitivity which is the ability to

respond favourably or unfavourably to its environment.

9. Locomotion or the ability to move on its initiative, under its

control.

10. Variation and Change which explain why no two organisms

are exactly alike (variation) and organism remains unchanged
forever. Adaptation and evolution are mechanisms of change.

11. Stereospecificity or the ability of certain molecules present in

an organism to interact with the nature in a left-or-right-handed
manner, e.g. the glucose molecule possesses - and l- forms
which indicate their ability to rotate plane-polarized light to the
right or to the left.

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 The Chemicals of Life

All living organisms are predominantly constructed from

carbon, oxygen and hydrogen, together with some inorganic
elements like nitrogen, phosphorous, and sulphur.

1. Water
Al life forms, from the simplest bacteria to the most complex
multicellular plants and animals contain water. Human
cells are composed of about 70% water, over 80% in blood
and 60-70% of the body as a whole.

2. Organic Compounds
a.) Nucleic acids (DNA and RNA)
b.) Proteins
c.) Carbohydrates
d.) Fats and lipids

3. Inorganic Elements
a.) Bulk elements (N, Na, Mg, P, S, Cl, K, and Ca) required
in relatively large amounts.
b.) Trace elements (Fe, Zn, I)

Chapter 2

THE CELLULAR BASIS OF LIFE

Click the link and its subtopics

https://bio.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Introductory_and_General_Biolog
y/Book%3A_Biology_(Kimball)/03%3A_The_Cellular_Basis_of_Life

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Methods of Material Transfer

1. Diffusion is the movement of solute particles from a region

of greater concentration to one of lower concentration. The
flow is a consequence of the concentration gradient between
the two solutions. Diffusion is important in maintaining the
proper balance of materials in the blood, tissue, fluids, and
the cell.

2. Osmosis is the passage of solvent molecules from a region of

lower concentration to one of greater concentration through
a semi-permeable membrane. The pressure needed to
prevent osmosis is called osmotic pressure. Differences in
osmotic pressure of solutions cause differences in the tone
of the solution
a.) Isotonic solutions have the same solute concentration
or solution with a concentration equal to the inside of a
cell, e.g. 0.9% NaCl (normal saline solution or NSS)
usually administered during dehydration, haemorrhage
or post-operative shock prevention. A 5.5% glucose
solution is isotonic with body fluids.
b.) Hypotonic solutions have lower concentration than that
inside the cell, e.g. distilled or tap water are hypotonic
compared with blood. If a hypotonic solution is injected
into the blood, solvent will flow into the red blood cells
(RBC) causing it to swell and finally burst (hemolysis),
liberating its haemoglobin content.
c.) Hypertonic solutions have greater concentration than
that inside the cell. If a solution with concentration
higher than 0.9% NaCl is injected into the blood, the cell
will shrink.

3. Dialysis is the separation of the colloidal particles from

those of a true solution by means of a semi-permeable
membrane. Only the solution particles pass through the
membrane. The colloidal particles do not. In this process,
no energy is needed, and movement spontaneous. In the
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 body, kidney membranes allow the passage of soluble waste
materials but not colloidal proteins. Hemodialysis is the
removal of soluble waste products from the bloodstream by
means of a membrane, causing purification of the blood.

4. Active transport is the movement of materials against a

concentration gradient, and therefore require enzymes and
energy.

Chapter 3

MOLECULAR INTERACTIONS

Click the links

https://youtu.be/YvSOo7cbUL0

https://youtu.be/PVL24HAesnc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgmV0b_2MEk

https://youtu.be/meGT8D_h3dM

https://youtu.be/ErQORXtdpEg

Chapter IV

KW, WEAK ACIDS (Ka) AND BASES (kb), BUFFERS

Unlike strong acids/bases, weak acids and weak bases do not

completely dissociate (separate into ions) at equilibrium in water, so
calculating the pH of these solutions requires consideration of a
unique ionization constant and equilibrium concentrations.
Although this is more difficult than calculating the pH of a strong
acid or base solution, most biochemically important acids and
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bases are considered weak, and so it is very useful to understand
how to calculate the pH of these substances. The same basic
method can be used to determine the pH of aqueous solutions of
many different weak acids and bases.

Click the links

https://chem.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Physical_and_Theoretical
_Chemistry_Textbook_Maps/Supplemental_Modules_(Physical_and_
Theoretical_Chemistry)/Acids_and_Bases/Ionization_Constants/We
ak_Acids_and_Bases

https://youtu.be/jdmHjFp_35I

https://youtu.be/LMA3CBmUrI8

ph pOH, pKa and pKb Calculation

Click the links

https://sciencenotes.org/ph-pka-ka-pkb-and-kb-in-chemistry/

https://youtu.be/OEW4-Sfyvik

COLLOIDAL PROPERTIES

Click the links

https://youtu.be/QAH-cCK1bS8