Biochem - Lesson 1&2

LEARNING MATERIAL 1
LIFE PROCESSES → Biologists define life by listing characteristics that
living things share. Something that has all of the
TOPIC OUTLINE characteristics of life is considered to be alive.
1 Chemistry of Life
2 Functions of Biomolecules An individual living creature is called an organism.
There are many characteristics that living organisms
CHEMISTRY OF LIFE share. All living organisms:
o respond to their environment
Bio life o grow and change
Chemistry different chemicals o reproduce and have offspring
Biochemistry chemistry of life o have complex chemistry
o maintain homeostasis
All living organisms are predominantly constructed o are built of structures called cells
from o pass their traits onto their offspring
o carbon (this is the important element in our
daily life; the most important and common 1 RESPOND TO THEIR ENVIRONMENT
constituent element in matter) → Living things know what is going on around
o oxygen them, and respond to changes in the
o hydrogen environment.
together with some inorganic elements like → An adaptation refers to the process of
o nitrogen becoming adjusted to an environment.
o phosphorous Adaptations may include structural,
o sulfur physiological, or behavioral traits that
NOTE improve an organism's likelihood of survival,
Nothing in this world exist without water. and thus, reproduction.
2 GROWTH AND CHANGE
Human cells are composed of about 70% water, over
80% are in blood, and 60% to 70% of the body as → Even the smallest bacteria must grow. This
bacterium will reproduce by dividing into two
whole.
The structure of water makes it an ideal medium for separate bacteria. If the parent bacterium
does not grow, then each subsequent
sustaining life.
generation will just be smaller than the
previous generation. Eventually the bacteria
ATTRIBUTES OF LIFE
will be too small to function properly.
All living organisms share several key characteristics
or functions:
o order
o sensitivity or response to the environment NOTE
o reproduction Nothing in this world is constant except
o growth and development change.
o regulation 3 REPRODUCTION
o homeostasis → All living organisms must have the ability
o energy processing to reproduce. Living things make more
these characteristics define life. organisms like themselves. If a species cannot
create the next generation, the species will go
extinct.
→ the process of making the next generation
and may be a sexual or an asexual process
TWO TYPES OF REPRODUCTION
1 SEXUAL REPRODUCTION
→ involves two parents and the fusion
of gametes, haploid sex cells from
each parent
→ produces offspring that are
genetically unique and increases
genetic variation within a species
2 ASEXUAL REPRODUCTION
WHAT IS LIFE? → involves only one parent. It occurs
without a fusion of gametes.
→ distinguishing feature that separates a living thing → produces offspring that are all
from a non-living thing genetically identical to the parent

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Biochem - Lesson 1&2
LEARNING MATERIAL 1
4 HAVE COMPLEX CHEMISTRY
→ the most important and most complex
attribute of life
• producing pigment molecules
• breaking down sugar for energy
• undergoing a large number of other
biochemical reactions
that are needed for living organisms to
stay alive.
→ The sum of all the chemical reactions in a
cell is metabolism.
5 MAINTAIN HOMEOSTASIS
→ A human body has a temperature of 37
degrees Celsius, (about 98.6 degrees
Fahrenheit).
→ Living organisms keep their internal
environments within a certain range (they
maintain a stable internal condition), despite
changes in their external environment. This
process is called homeostasis, and is an
important characteristic of all living
organisms.
6 BUILT OF CELLS
→ A cell is the basic unit of structure and
function of all living organisms. All living
organisms are made of one or more cells.
2 PROTEINS
simple bacterium → one cell
you → trillions of cells
As a living organism, we’re going to adapt ourself to
the new environment. As we grow, we change our
characteristics, we develop another characteristic,
higher level of life attributes. It is our option to adapt
to the new environment, to respond to the new
situation that we have now.
WHAT IS LIFE PROCESS?
→ the basic essential activities performed by an
organism to sustain life on earth
FUNCTIONS OF BIOMOLECULES
3 NUCLEIC ACIDS
WHAT ARE BIOMOLECULES
→ organic molecules that sustain life
→ the most essential organic molecules, which are
involved in the maintenance and metabolic
processes of living organisms
→ These non-living molecules are the actual foot-
soldiers of the battle of sustenance of life.
→ They range from small molecules such as primary
and secondary metabolites and hormones to large
macromolecules like proteins, nucleic acids,
carbohydrates, lipids etc.
FOUR MAJOR CLASSES OF BIOMOLECULES
1 CARBOHYDRATES
→ chemically defined as polyhydroxy
aldehydes or ketones or compounds which
produce them on hydrolysis
→ In layman’s terms, we acknowledge
carbohydrates as sugars or substances that
taste sweet. They are collectively called as
saccharides (Greek: sakcharon = sugar).
NOTE
The rice undergoes metabolic process,
this would be synthesized from a large
molecule to smaller molecule and that
would be in the product as sugar.
CLASSIFICATIONS
monosaccharides 1 unit
oligosaccharides 2-10 units
polysaccharides more than 10 units
FUNCTIONS
1 the most abundant dietary source of
energy
2 structurally very important for many
living organisms as they form a major
structural component, e.g., cellulose
(outer covering of the plant to protect
the plant from any predators) is an
important structural fibre for plants.
→ another class of indispensable
biomolecules, which make up around 50
percent of the cellular dry weight
→ polymers of amino acids (building blocks of
protein) arranged in the form of polypeptide
chains
e.g., milk
→ The structure of proteins is classified as
primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary
in some cases. These structures are based on
the level of complexity of the folding of a
polypeptide chain.
→ Proteins play both structural and dynamic
roles. Myosin is the protein that allows
movement by contraction of muscles. Most
enzymes are proteinaceous in nature.
→ refer to the genetic material found in the
cell that carries all the hereditary information
from parents to progeny
TWO TYPES OF NUCLEIC ACIDS
1 DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid)
2 RNA (ribonucleic acid)
FUNCTION
1 the transfer of genetic information and
synthesis of proteins by processes
known as translation and transcription
The monomeric unit of nucleic acids is known
as nucleotide and is composed of a
nitrogenous base, pentose sugar, and
phosphate. The nucleotides are linked by a 3’
and 5’ phosphodiester bond. The nitrogen
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Biochem - Lesson 1&2
LEARNING MATERIAL 1
base attached to the pentose sugar makes
the nucleotide distinct.
4 MAJOR NITROGENOUS BASES
DNA RNA
adenine adenine
guanine guanine
cytosine cytosine
thymine uracil

The DNA structure is described as a double-

helix or double-helical structure which is
formed by hydrogen bonding between the
bases of two antiparallel polynucleotide
chains. Overall, the DNA structure looks
similar to a twisted ladder.
4 LIPIDS
→ organic substances that are insoluble in
water, soluble in organic solvents, are related
to fatty acids and are utilized by the living cell
→ They include fats, waxes, sterols, fat-
soluble vitamins, mono-, di- or triglycerides,
phospholipids, etc.
→ Unlike carbohydrates, proteins, and
nucleic acids, lipids are not polymeric
molecules.
FUNCTION
1 Lipids play a great role in the cellular
structure and are the chief source of
energy.

NOTE
Biomolecules are compounds which are joined by
covalent bonds.

CHEMICAL BONDS

→ attractive forces that join atoms together and

cannot be broken down

CHEMICAL BONDS
1 ALKANE
→ saturated hydrocarbon
→ single bond
→ CnH2n+2
2 ALKENE
→ unsaturated hydrocarbon
→ double bonds
→ CnH2n
3 ALKYNE
→ unsaturated hydrocarbon
→ triple bonds
→ CnH2n-2

NOTE
→ Excess biomolecule intake will lead to diseases
→ Lack of biomolecule intake, the body will not
work well

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