SBL 100

Introduction to Modern Biology for

Engineers

Disclaimer:The slides in the lecture have been developed /used using information available from various public domain
sources purely for teaching purposes
Cells and Molecules of Life
 Attributes common to life
• composed of one or more cells
• requiring energy- Mitochondrion
• ability to reproduce- Genetic Material
RNA, DNA https://ec.europa.eu/programmes/

• ablility to respond to stimuli horizon2020/en/system/files/newsroom/

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Photosysnthesis/ Anabolic/catabolic reactions

Proteins, Carbohydrates, Fat
• the ability to grow
Division- Mitotic , Meiotic
 Molecular Hierarchy
Inorgainc precursors (CO2, water, ammonia, methane)

Metabolites (pyruvate, succinate, acetyl co-A)

Building blocks (amino acids, nucleotides, sugars, glycerol)

Biomolecules (DNA, RNA, Proteins, Polysaccharides)

Molecular assemblies (Ribosomes, cytoplasm)

v

Organelle (Nucelus, Mitochondria, Chloroplast)

Cell (bacterial, fungal, algal, animal, plant)

Hierarchical Molecular Organization in cell
Haemoglobin
 Function
• Vital for growth and Repair
• Proteins, which are composed of amino acids, serve in many
roles in the body (e.g., as enzymes, structural components,
hormones, and antibodies)
• Structural components such as keratin of hair and nail, collagen
of bone, etc.
• Proteins -molecular instruments -genetic information is
expressed.
• Trans­port of oxygen and carbon dioxide by hemoglobin and
special enzymes in the red cells.
• Blood clotting
• Storage Proteins- Ovalbumin, glutelin
• Contractile proteins- Contraction and Relaxation
 Directionality
• DNA- 5’ 3’
• Protein N terminus C terminus
 Interactions
• Covalent
• Non covalent
• Hydrogen
• Van-der-waals
• Role of water molecules?
 Carbohydrates
• general formula Cx(H2O)y
• All are either ketones or aldehydes with
several OH groups- Function determination
• Divided in Three Groups
• Monosaccharides- Trioses, pentoses
• E.g.glyceraldehydes and dihydroxyacetone
intermediaries in Photosynthesis and
respiration
• Disaccharides
maltose (glucose + glucose), lactose (glucose +
galactose) (Milk) and sucrose (glucose +
fructose) (cane Sugar)
 Polysaccharides
Polysaccharides- Food and Energy reserves
Glucose Polymers
• Starch (Plants- seeds)
• Glycogen (Animals- stored in Liver, Muscles)
• Cellulose (Cell wall, most abundant organic
molecule on earth)
https://alevelbiology.co.uk/notes/cellulose/
 Lipids
• Esters of fatty acids and alcohol (glycerol mostly)
• Unsaturated (one or more double bonds>C=C<)-
Olive oil
• Saturated (Lack double bond)- Palmitic acid
• Triglycerides (3OH groups of Glycerol react with
fatty acids, most common)
• Store energy- high calorific value than
carbohydrates
• Hibernation- Fats under the skin-mammals of
cold climate- bears
• Plants store oils rather than fats. Seeds
(coconut, castor bean, soyabean, sunflower,)
• Solid triglycerides are classified as fats and
liquids as oils at 20 degreeC.
• Waxes -Esters of fatty acids with long chain
alcohols.
Supramolecular Structures/Complexes
• Cell Membrane
• Chromosome
• Viruses
Supramolecular Organization
Membrane
Chromosome
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URUJD5NE
XC8
 Viruses
• Supramolecular complexes of nucleic
acids,either DNA or RNA
• enclosed in a protein coat
• Sometimes surrounded by a membrane
envelope.
• SIZE- much smaller than bacteria, generally 5-
300nm , some larger
• Submicroscopic- Electron Microscope
 Viruses
• Infectious agents only?
• SMART creatures?
• Intelligent designs
• Living and Non Living
 Living
• Replicate
• At a much faster rate
• Use host cellular machinery
• Viruses Mutate
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0I_y_edjM9s
• Species specific
• Animal Viruses (polio, small pox etc)
• Plant viruses (Cauliflower Mosaic Virus)
• Bacteria (Bacteriophages)
 Non living features of Viruses
• No cytoplasm, No organelles (Acellular in
nature)
• Carry out No metabolism on their own
• (they replicate using host’s metabolic
machinery)
 Important attribute of Viruses
• They do not grow and divide
• New viral components are synthesized and
assembled within the infected host cell
 How does a virus replicate?
• Computer virus ?
 Viral replication
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=uIut0oVWCEg
 Transmission
• Air (meningitus)
• Droplet (Influenza)
• Vector (Encephalitis)
• Water (Polio)
• Are there any beneficial viruses?
• Virosphere- trillions of Viruses
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/02/180206090650.htm

• Causative organism for Common Cold?

• Other Examples- Ebola, Dengue, chikungunya,
Corona, Polio, HIV, influenza, smallpox
 Evolution of Viruses
• Very Intriguing!
• Viruses First?
• Mobile genetic elements
• Parasite theory?
Organelles
 Nucleus

Command Center/ Brain of the cell/Control unit

https://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/cells/plants/images/cellnucleus.jpg
 Function
• The nucleus controls and regulates the
activities of the cell
• such as growth and metabolism
• carries the genes, structures that contain the
hereditary information.
• Transcription site
• Powerhouse of the cell?
 Mitochondrion

http://www.dnatesting1.com/mitochondria/
• Energy rich molecules (NADH and FADH2)formed in glycolysis, fatty acid
oxidation, and the citric acid cycle are energy-rich molecules
• because each contains a pair of electrons having a high transfer potential.
• When these electrons are used to reduce molecular oxygen to water, a
large amount of free energy is liberated, which can be used to generate
ATP.
• Oxidative phosphorylation is the process in which ATP is formed as a
result of the transfer of electrons from NADH or FADH 2 to O 2 by a series of
electron carriers. This process, which takes place in mitochondria, is the
major source of ATP in aerobic organisms
• For example, oxidative phosphorylation generates 26 of the 30 molecules
of ATP that are formed when glucose is completely oxidized to CO 2 and
H2O.
 Mitochondrial Genome
• Exclusively transmitted through female germ
line
• In humans Mt DNA is double-stranded,
circular molecule of 16, 569 bp and
• contains 37 genes coding for two rRNAs, 22
tRNAs and 13 polypeptides
• all subunits of enzyme complexes of the
oxidative phosphorylation system
 Mitochondrial Diseases
• caused by mutations in genes of the
mitochondrial and nuclear DNA
• adverse effects of drugs, infections,
• other environmental causes
• mitochondrial diseases are worse when the
defective mitochondria are present in the
muscles, cerebrum, or nerves
• Use of more energy
• Human disease/s caused by mitochondria
malfunction?