Introductory Biochemistry

Instructor: Dr. David ShintaniOffice: 311C Fleischmann Ag.

E-mail: shintani@unr.eduPhone: (775) 784-4631

How to be successful in this class

• come to class!!!• read ahead in the text• don’t fall behind• understand the material• memorize structures and

pathways• study in groups• see me for help during office

hours

What is Biochemistry?• Biochemistry is the study of the

molecules and chemical reactions of life.

• The Biochemist uses physical and chemical principles to explain biology at the molecular level.

• Basic principles of biochemistry are common to all living organism

What can we do with biochemistry?

• Medicine

• Agriculture

• Industrial applications

• Environmental applications

Principle Areas of Biochemistry

• Structural chemistry

• Metabolism

• Molecular Genetics

Origins of Biochemistry: A challenge to “Vitalism.”

• Vitalism: idea that substances and processes associated with living organisms did not behave according to the known laws of physics and chemistry

• 1828 - Friedrich Wohler synthesized urea from an inorganic compound in a test tube.

• 1897 – Eduard and Hans Buchner showed that an extract from killed yeast could convert glucose to ethanol in vitro.

• Emil Fischer – proposed the idea of “enzymes” as biological catalyst for chemical reactions. Proposed “lock and key”

• 1926 – J.B. Sumner crystallized the protein urease

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

Most abundant, essential for all organisms: C, N, O, P, S, HLess abundant, essential for all organisms : Na, Mg, K, Ca, ClTrace levels, essential for all organism: Mn, Fe, Co, Cu, ZnTrace levels, essential for some organisms: V, Cr, Mo, B, Al, Ga, Sn, Si, As, Se, I,

Elements of Life

Important compounds, functional groups

Many Important Biomolecules are Polymers

p ro te in com plex

p ro te in su b un it

a m ino ac id

m em b rane

p ho sp ho lip id

fa tty a c id

ce ll w a ll

ce llu lo se

g lu co se

ch ro m o som e

D N A

n uc leo tidemonomer

polymer

supramolecularstructure

lipids proteins carbo nucleic acids

Lipids

m em b rane

p ho sp ho lip id

fa tty a c idmonomer

polymer

supramolecularstructure

Proteins

p ro te in com plex

p ro te in su b un it

a m ino ac idmonomer

polymer

supramolecularstructure

Carbohydrates

ce ll w a ll

ce llu lo se

g lu co semonomer

polymer

supramolecularstructure

ch ro m a tin

D N A

n uc leo tidemonomer

polymer

supramolecularstructure

Nucleic Acids

Prokaryote Cell

Eukaryote Cell

Cellular Organization of an E. coli Cell