Introduction to

biomolecules

Dr. Marwa Matboly

Assistant Professor of Medical
Biochemistry and Molecular
Biology
Concept map of Medical Biochemistry module

Introduction
to
biomolecules

Protein Lipid
Chemistry Chemistry

Enzyme Carbohydrate
Chemistry Chemistry
Intended learning Outcomes:
• Studying this topic should enable you to:
• Enumerate essential elements in the human body
• Name the 4 major macromolecules in living cells
• Define Monomers & Polymers
• Define protein, carbohydrates and lipids.
Outline

• What is biochemistry
Biomolecules
• Role of biochemistry
• What is biomolecule
in medicine
• Types of biomolecules
• Structure of
biomolecules

Biochemistry
 Biochemistry
=
Chemistry of life
 What is Bio Chemistry?
• Biochemistry, sometimes called biological chemistry, is the study
of chemical processes within, and relating to, living organisms.

6
Extended Modular Program
Biochemistry(biological chemistry)

The biomolecules
provide the
It focuses heavily on
structure of cells
the role, function,
and perform many
and structure
of the functions
of biomolecules
associated with
life.
Extended Modular Program
The principal types of biological
molecules, or biomolecules are:

Lipids

Proteins

Nucleic acids
Carbohydrates
Biomolecules
 Biomolecules
• Many of these molecules are
complex molecules called polymers,
which are made up of monomer
subunits.
 How polymers formed?
Glucose
CH2OH CH2OH CH2OH CH2OH

H C O H H C O H H C O H H C O H
H H H H
C OH H C C OH H C C OH H C C OH H C
OH OH OH OH OH OH OH OH
C C O C C O C C O C C
H H H H H H
H OH H OH H OH H OH

Biopolymers are formed by

condensation reactions in
which water is removed from the
reacting monomer units
Extended Modular Program
 Which statement describes carbohydrates,
lipids, proteins, and DNA?
• (A) They are used to store genetic information.
• (B) They are complex molecules made from smaller molecules.
• (C) They are used to assemble larger inorganic materials.
• (D) They are simple molecules used as energy sources.
 Chemical reaction
A process that changes one set of
chemicals into another set of chemicals

Reactants Products

E
A B + D
+ C
 Chemical reaction
Catalysed by
Enzymes

Substrate is the molecule that the enzyme

acts upon to form products

E + S <---> [ES] <---> E + P

Hydrolysis
Protein Chemistry
• Proteins are polymers of amino acids
monomers linked together by peptide
linkages.

• Proteins are organic nitrogenous

compounds composed of C, H, O and
N2.
• Proteins are about 50% of the dry
weight of most cells, and are the
most structurally complex
molecules known.

• Each type of protein has its own

unique structure and function
Carbohydtate Chemistry
 What are carbohydrates

• Carbohydrates are organic

compounds composed of C, H, O

•
Carbohydrates
 Importance of carbohydrates:
Pentoses enter in the
structure of nucleic
CHIEF
acids, high energy
SOURCE OF compounds as ATP,
ENERGY regulatory molecules

Enter in the
structure of
connective tissues
and cell
membranes.
Classification:
According to products of hydrolysis

Carbohydrates

Monosaccharides
Oligosaccharides Polysaccharides
1
2-6 >6
Can’t be hydrolyzed
Lipid Chemistry
Lipids are organic compounds, containing C,
H, O and they are insoluble in water but
soluble in fat solvents as alcohol, ether,
benzene and chloroform.
Simple Complex Derived
lipid lipid lipids
Protein Chemistry

Dr. Marwa Matboli

Assistant professor of Medical
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
 ILO s
1. Describe the chemical structure of amino acids
2. Discuss Properties of Amino Acids
3. Explain amino acids classification
4. Explain how peptides are formed
5. Mention the physiological importance of following peptides: Glutathione, endorphins and
oxytocin
6. Describe the levels of protein structure :
• Primary structure, Secondary structure, Tertiary structure and Quaternary structure
7. Explain the mechanisms of protein folding
8. Correlate protein misfolding to the diseases
- Prion Disease -Alzheimer
9. Describe protein denaturation
 Introduction to Proteins and amino acid Chemistry

Proteins are the

Body's Worker
Molecules
 Introduction to Proteins and amino acid Chemistry

• Proteins are about 50% of the dry

weight of most cells, and are the
most structurally complex molecules
known.

• Each type of protein has its own

unique structure and function

• Proteins are organic nitrogenous

compounds composed of C, H, O and
N2.
 Introduction to Proteins and amino acid Chemistry

• Proteins are polymers of amino acids

monomers linked together by peptide
linkages.

• Proteins perform several biological

functions in living organisms.
Concept map amino acid& protein chemistry

Amino acid Amino acid Protein

structure classification Chemistry

Levels of
Protein
protein Protein folding
Classification
organization

Protein Protein
misfolding denaturation
Basic Structure of amino acid

33
 Amino Acids are the Building Blocks
of Proteins

AA
AA AA
AA
AA AA
One Protein
Amino Acid AA
AA AA
AA
AA
The 20 Key Amino Acids

More than 300 amino acids occur naturally,

but 23 amino acids that make up the
proteins in plants and animals

20 of them are directly specified by the

genetic code in DNA.
Remember
All natural 20 amino
acids contain:
-alpha - α amino,
- α-carboxylic groups
Abbreviations are used to name an amino acid

3-letter- Single-letter-
abbreviation abbreviation

Gly G
Glu – Ala – Lys – Gly- Tyr – Ala
E A K G Y A
 Abbreviations of Amino Acids
1 letter
3 letter 1 letter 3 letter
Name Name Abbreviatio
Abbreviation Abbreviation Abbreviation
n
Alanine Ala A Leucine Leu L
Arginine Arg R Lysine Lys K

Asparagine Asn N Methionine Met M

Aspartic Acid Asp D Phenylalanine Phe F

Cysteine
Cys C Proline Pro P

Glutamic Acid Glu E Serine Ser S

Glutamine Gln Q Threonine Thr T

Glycine
Gly G Tryptophan Trp W

Histidine His H Tyrosine Tyr Y

Isoleucine Ile I Valine Val V

 Amino Acid Structure

Carboxylic group -
COO
Amino group
+
H3 N a H

H = Glycine
R group
CH3 = Alanine
 Activity 1
• There are four parts to each amino acid. A carbon atom is bonded to
a hydrogen atom, functional group., ..:
A. hydroxy and amino group.
B. imino group and carboxyl group.
C. amino group and carboxyl group.

41
 Activity 2
• There are ____ common amino acids derived from human proteins?
A. 10
B. 18
C. 20
D. 22

42
Properties of Amino Acids

43
 Properties of Amino Acids

Soluble in polar
Colorless stereoisomerism
solvent

Amphoteric Buffering
Property activity
1-Amino Acids Solubility

Soluble in polar
Insoluble in non solvents like water
and alcohol due to
polar solvents presence of charged
groups
2-Amino acids are colorless

Amino acids Aromatic amino

colorless

do not acids absorb

absorb ultraviolet light
visible light (wave length
280nm)
 3.The Stereoisomerism of Amino Acids

Chiral molecules existing in two forms

By stereoisomerism, molecules
have the same molecular
formula and same structural
groups but differ in
orientation of the groups in
space

http://www.imb-jena.de/~rake/Bioinformatics_WEB/gifs/amino_acids_chiral.gif
The two stereoisomers of alanine
a-carbon is a chiral center
Mirror Images of Amino Acid

a Mirror
image
a
Same chemical properties
Stereo isomers
Juang RH (2004) BCbasics
Naturally occurring amino acids in mammalian

Naturally occurring amino

acids in mammalian are L –
form .
D-amino acids are present
in bacterial cell walls and in
some antibiotic drugs.
Glycine has no D nor L form
 4-Amphoteric Property

The property of amino

acid to behave as an
COO-

a
acid (proton donor) or as
a base (proton acceptor) + H3 N H

R group
4-Amphoteric Property
 4-Amphoteric Property

At physiological pH

Carboxyl group Amino group

Positively
Negatively charged
charged(porotonated)
COO-
NH3+
 5-Buffering properties

Basic Both make

Acidic amino acid
NH2
COOH
group act as a buffer
 56
Extended Modular Program
Concept map amino acid& protein chemistry

Amino acid Amino acid Protein

structure classification Chemistry

Levels of
Protein
protein Protein folding
Classification
organization

Protein Protein
misfolding denaturation
Amino acids Classification

58
 Classification of Amino Acids

• Based on the structure of the side

Chemical chain (R group)

According to • Polarity of the side chain

polarity
• Based on whether amino acid can
Nutritional be synthesized or not in the body

• Based on the fate of amino acids in

Metabolic the body
Chemical Classification of amino acids
Amino Aliphatic side chain
acids Aliphatic Side chain containing OH group
Side chain containing SH group
Side chain containing acidic groups
Side chain containing basic group

Aromatic ring
Cyclic
Heterocyclic
Imino group