BIOCHEMISTRY

BIOCHEMISTRY
Isomers – Complex molecules that have same molecular formula and yet they have a
different chemical structure.
Biomolecules – Large organic compounds that comprise living organisms
• Have unique properties that impart essential structure and function to
cells
• Also considered as macromolecules
• Monomers is a basic unit of macromolecules
• Biomolecules are therefore Polymers of their building blocks of smaller
molecules.
THE FOUR MAJOR BIOMOLECULE
1) Carbohydrates – also known as sugar and the most abundant organic compound
 Has a multitude function that makes them store energy to fuel up cellular processes and
providing structural support to the cell
 They may be simple or complex which depends on the chemical structure
 Monosaccharides which is the basic unit of Carbohydrates
 Polysaccharides monosaccharides joined together to form a larger molecule
 Glycogen, cellulose and starch are examples of polysaccharides formed by strings of
monosaccharides
 Glycogen and starch function for storage of energy in animals and plants
 Cellulose functions for structural support in plants
 the most versatile among the
PROTEIN organic molecules tasked with a
wide array of functions
I. Transport of molecules in and out of the cell and between cells
II. Catalyze biological reactions
III. Signal transduction from external stimulus to cell response
IV. Intercellular signaling and recognition
V. Bind energy together
VI. Anchorage of cell to cytoskeletal structures within the cell and to the extracellular matrix
outside the cell
VII. Give shape and size to the cell by forming cytoskeleton
VIII. Protect against infection and disease
IX. Supply energy
PROTEIN
Protein monomers are the following:
Amino acids – that strings them together
Peptide bonds – to form the primary structure called the Polypeptide
There are twenty kinds of amino acids that can form polypeptide
Development of proteins started with the formation of ribosomes units that translate
information from RNA into protein
Some notable proteins are the oxygen-carrying hemoglobin, enzymes, hormones,
and antibodies
 are nonpolar, and thus
LIPIDS insoluble, biomolecules.

 They function for energy, supply, protection, support and communication.

 The following are the four common groups of Lipids

① Phospholipids – the primary component in the cell’s plasma membrane

Because it is unsoluble it provides the cell protection from the environment
They are made up of two fatty acid monomers and a glycerol monomer
LIPIDS
② Fats – it contains two mononers, fatty acids linked with glycerol. They can be
monoglycerides, diglycerides, or triglycerides, depending on the number of fatty
acids attached to the glycerol group.
Saturated fats have only single bonds and can tightly pack together,
taking on a solid form at a low room temperature
Unsaturated fats have double or triple bonds that make “kinks” in the
chain that prevent packing, thus maintaining its liquid form at room
temperature
Fats pack more energy than carbohydrates which are used for long term
energy storage and supply
LIPIDS
③ Steroids – includes choresterol and hormones that have vital biological functions in
the body.
Bile is synthesized form choresterols while hormones have crucial
functions in the reproductive system

④ Waxes – have two monomers, a fatty acid and an alcohol.

They provide a slippery surface that effective works as a barrier to
protect cells mechanically as well as from water loss
It can waterproof leaves and feathers of birds
 are resporitories of cellular
NUCLEIC ACIDS information that are passed on
from generation to generation
 Are made up of monomers called nucleotides that have a backbone of alternately
linked phosphate group and a 5-carbon sugar, each of them attached to a
nitrogenous base.
 Nucleotides are linked sequentially by phosphodiester bonds that joins the
phosphate group of one nucleotide to the sugar of the next nucleotide.
 The 5-carbon sugar is attached to Nitrogeneous bases with double rings are
purines, including adenine(A) and guanine(G).
 Single-ringed bases thymine(T), cytosine(C), and uracil(U) are pyrimidines
 There are two types of nucleic acids the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and
ribonucleic acids (RNA)
DNA NUCLEOTIDES ARE DEFINED BY THE SUGAR DEOXYRIBOSE
Deoxyribose – is a derivative of ribose wherein one oxygen atom is lacking in a
carbon.

Is conjucated with one of the four nitrogeneous bases A, G, T, or C.

 The order where the nitrogeneous bases appear in nucleotides serves as
a code for the information carried within it.
 DNA carries information this way
 DNA is refered as a double helix. This allows it to replicate itself and
reproduction of vital information.
RNA nucleotides meanwhile, have ribose, phosphate group and a
nitrogeneous base.

There is no thymine in RNA nucleotides, the fourth base being uracil.

Unlike DNA, RNA is less complex and forms a single strand
RNA can function to shuttle information from DNA to ribosomes for the
production of proteins, act as enzymes, and it can act as a molecular
regulator of cellular processes