BCH 400/600 –

Introductory Biochemistry

Instructor: David Shintani

Office: 311C Fleischmann Ag.
Lab: 308 Fleischmann Ag.
E-mail: shintani@unr.edu
Phone: (775) 784-4631
Before BCH 400
BCH 400 is
heavy on
content!!!
After BCH 400
Come to class!!!!!!
Try not to fall behind!!
• Review lecture notes.
http://www.ag.unr.edu/shintani/bch400-600/index.html

• Read book chapters.

                     
 

                     

Principles of Principles of
  Biochemistry   Biochemistry
4th Edition 3rd Edition
Use tools to memorize

Histidine?
Study in groups
Participate in the clicker
system!!!

20 extra credit points!!

Feel Free
My office hours
Or e-mail me for
are Tuedays
a private from
audience
to see me!
2:00 to 3:00 PM
 What is Biochemistry?
• Biochemistry = chemistry of life.

• Biochemists use physical and

chemical principles to explain
biology at the molecular level.

• Basic principles of biochemistry are

common to all living organism
 How does biochemistry
impact you?
• Medicine

• Agriculture

• Industrial applications

• Environmental applications
 Principle Areas of
Biochemistry
• Structure and function of biological
macromolecules

• Metabolism – anabolic and catabolic

processes.

• Molecular Genetics – How life is

replicated. Regulation of protein
synthesis
Life Before Biochemistry
Once upon a time, a long long time ago…..
Vitalism: idea that substances and processes
associated with living organisms did not
behave according to the known laws of
physics and chemistry

Evidence:
1) Only living things have a high degree of
complexity
2) Only living things extract, transform and
utilize energy from their environment
3) Only living things are capable of self
assembly and self replication
Origins of Biochemistry:
A challenge to “Vitalism.”

Famous Dead Biochemist!

 Fallacy #1: Biochemicals can only be
produced by living organisms

•Dead Biochemist #1

•1828 Friedrich Wohler

 Fallacy #2: Complex bioconversion of
chemical substances require living
matter

Dead Biochemists #2

•1897 Eduard Buchner

Glucose + Dead Yeast = Alcohol

 Fallacy #2: Complex
bioconversion of chemical
substances require living matter
Dead Biochemists #3

• Emil Fischer
 Fallacy #2: Complex
bioconversion of chemical
substances require living matter
Dead Biochemists #4

1926 J.B. Sumner

 Findings of other famous dead biochemist

• 1944 Avery, MacLeod and McCarty identified

DNA as information molecules
• 1953 Watson (still alive) and Crick proposed the
structure of DNA
• 1958 Crick proposed the central dogma of
biology
 Organization of Life
• elements
• simple organic compounds (monomers)
• macromolecules (polymers)
• supramolecular structures
• organelles
• cells
• tissues
• organisms
 Range of the
sizes of objects
studies by
Biochemist and
Biologist

1 angstrom = 0.1 nm
 Elements of Life

Most abundant, essential for all organisms: C, N, O, P, S, H

Less abundant, essential for all organisms : Na, Mg, K, Ca, Cl
Trace levels, essential for all organism: Mn, Fe, Co, Cu, Zn
Trace levels, essential for some organisms: V, Cr, Mo, B, Al, Ga, Sn, Si,
As, Se, I,
Important compounds, functional groups
 Many Important Biomolecules are Polymers

lipids proteins carbo nucleic acids

monomer fa tty a c id a m ino ac id g lu co se n uc leo tide

polymer p h o sp ho lip id p rote in su b u n it c e llu lo se DNA

supramolecular
m e m b ra ne p ro te in c om plex c e ll w a ll c h ro m o s om e
structure
 Lipids

monomer fa tty a c id

polymer p h o sp ho lip id

supramolecular
m e m b ra ne
structure
 Proteins

monomer amino acid

polymer protein subunit

supramolecular
structure Enzyme complex
 Carbohydrates

monomer g lu co se

polymer c e llu lo se

supramolecular
structure c e ll w a ll
 Nucleic Acids

monomer n u c le o tid e

polymer DNA

supramolecular
c h ro m a tin
structure
Common theme:

Monomers form
polymers through  
condensations

Polymers are broken

down through
hydrolysis.
Prokaryote Cell
Cellular Organization
of an E. coli Cell

200 – 300 mg protein / mL cytoplasm

Eukaryote Cell