1. Basic Chemistry

2. Biochemistry: Essentials for Life
Organic compounds
Contain carbon
Most are covalently bonded
Important organic compounds in the body are carbohydrates, lipids, proteins and nucleic acids.
Example: C6H12O6 (glucose)

3. Biochemistry: Essentials for Life
Inorganic compounds
Lack carbon
Tend to be simpler compounds
Example: H2O (water), salts, and many acids and bases.

4. Important Inorganic Compounds
Water
Most abundant inorganic compounds
Vital properties
High heat capacity – it absorbs and releases large amounts of heat before its temperature changes, and prevents the sudden changes in body temperature.
Polarity/solvent properties - “universal solvent”
All reactions that occur in the body depend upon water’s solvent properties.

5. Inorganic Compound - continuation
Water can act as a transport and exchange medium in the body. Ex. blood plasma exchange between blood and tissue cell.
Specialized molecules that lubricate the body uses water as their solvent Ex. Saliva.
Chemical Reactivity - It is an important reactant. Ex. To digest foods or break down biological molecules (hydrolysis reaction)
Cushioning - Protects Ex. Cerebrospinal fluid and Amniotic fluid.

6. Important Inorganic Compounds
Salts
Easily dissociate into ions in the presence of water
Vital to many body functions
Include electrolytes which conduct electrical currents
The most abundant are those containing calcium and phosphorus (bones and teeth)

7. Important Inorganic Compounds
Acids – have a sour taste and can dissolve many metals.
Can release detectable hydrogen ions-acids are also define as proton donors because the H ion is essentially a hydrogen nucleus.
Bases - have a bitter taste, feel slippery
Proton acceptors
Neutralization reaction
Acids and bases react to form water and a salt.

8. pH Measures relative concentration of hydrogen ions pH 7 = neutral
pH below 7 = acidic
pH above 7 = basic
Buffers: chemicals that can regulate pH change
Figure 2.11

9. pH: Acid-Base Concentration – (Cont.)
Living cells are very sensitive to even slight changes in pH.
acid-base balance is regulated by the kidneys, lungs and chemicals called buffers, which are present in body fluids.

10. Important Organic Compounds
Carbohydrates - or hydrate carbon
Contain carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen
Include sugars and starches (glucose C6H12O6 and ribose C5H10O5 )
Classified according to size
Monosaccharides – simple sugars
Disaccharides – two simple sugars joined by dehydration synthesis
Polysaccharides – long branching chains of linked simple sugars

11. Organic Compound - Monosaccharides
Monosaccharides - are joined to form the molecules of other two groups.
They are the structural units, or building blocks of carbohydrates.
The most important are:
Glucose (blood sugar)-universal cellular fuel.
Fructose & Galactose –are converted to glucose for use by the body cells.
Ribose and Deoxyribose – form part of the structure of nucleic acids.

12. Organic Compounds - Disaccharides
Dissacarides – or double sugars
Formed when two simple sugars are joined by a synthesis reaction “hydration synthesis” where a water molecule is lost as the bond forms.
Ex. sucrose (glucose-fructose) which is cane sugar
lactose (glucose-galactose) found in milk
Maltose ( glucose-glucose) or malt sugar
These large molecules must be broken down (digested)to their monosaccharide units, to be absorbed by the digestive tract by hydrolysis. A water molecule is added to each bond, then broken and the simple sugar is released.

13. Carbohydrates
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DISACCHARIDES ANIMATION
Figure 2.12a–b

14. Carbohydrates
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POLYSACCHARIDES ANIMATION
Figure 2.12c

15. Important Organic Compounds
Lipids
Contain carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen
Carbon and hydrogen outnumber oxygen
Insoluble in water
They enter the body in the form of fat-marbled meats, egg yolks, milk products, and oils.
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LIPIDS ANIMATION

16. Lipids Common lipids in the human body Neutral fats (triglycerides)
Found in fat deposits
Composed of fatty acids and glycerol
Source of stored energy
May be solid (typical of animal fats -saturated) or liquid (plant oils -unsaturated)

17. Lipids Common lipids in the human body (continued) Phospholipids
Form cell membranes
Very similar to triglycerides (here a phosphorus containing group is always part of the molecule)
Steroids
Include cholesterol, bile salts, vitamin D, and some hormones

18. Lipids - continuation
Cholesterol enters the body in animal products such as meat, eggs, and cheese. It is also made in the liver regardless of dietary intake
It is found in all cell membranes, and is particularly abundant in the brain.
It is the raw material used to form vitamin D, some hormones and bile salts.
Cholesterol have been implicated in atherosclerosis (deposit of fatty substances in artery walls) and arterioeclerosis (hardening of the arteries)

19. Lipids
Figure 2.14a–b

20. Cholesterol
The basis for all steroids made in the body
Figure 2.14c

21. Important Organic Compounds
Proteins
Made of amino acids
Contain carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, and sometimes sulfur
The building block are molecule’ s called amino acids. All have an amino group that gives them basic properties and an acid group which allows them to act as acids.

22. Proteins – cont. Fibrous and Globular Proteins:
Fibrous or Globular proteins: are mobile, also called functional proteins.
Fibrous or structural proteins. Most often in body structures. Ex collagen (bones, cartilages)

23. Protein Animations
Click below to explore the levels of protein structure
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INTRODUCTION TO PROTEIN STRUCTURE
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CHEMISTRY OF LIFE© PROTEINS: PRIMARY STRUCTURE
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CHEMISTRY OF LIFE© PROTEINS: SECONDARY STRUCTURE
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CHEMISTRY OF LIFE© PROTEINS: TERTIARY STRUCTURE
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CHEMISTRY OF LIFE© PROTEINS: QUATERNARY STRUCTURE

24. Proteins Account for over half of the body’s organic matter
Provides for construction materials for body tissues
Plays a vital role in cell function
Act as enzymes, hormones, and antibodies
Enzymes are important in the functioning of all body cells.
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CHEMISTRY OF LIFE© PROTEINS: ENZYME ANIMATION

25. Enzymes Act as biological catalysts
Increase the rate of chemical reactions
Figure 2.17

26. Important Organic Compounds
Nucleic Acids
Provide blueprint of life
Nucleotide bases
A = Adenine
G = Guanine
C = Cytosine
T = Thymine
U = Uracil
Make DNA and RNA

27. Nucleic Acids Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)
Organized by complimentary bases to form double helix
Replicates before cell division
Provides instruction for every protein in the body
Figure 2.18c

28. Important Organic Compounds
Adenosine triphosphate (ATP)
Chemical energy used by all cells
Energy is released by breaking high energy phosphate bond
ATP is replenished by oxidation of food fuels
ATP= adenine base, ribose sugar and three phosphate groups. Phosphate groups are attached by high-energy phosphate bonds that when they are ruptured by hydrolysis, energy to do work is liberated.

29. Adenosine TriPhosphate (ATP)
Reaction when used by the cell:
ATP ADP + P + E
(Adenosine (adenosine ( inorganic energy
Triphosphate) diphosphate) phosphate)
As ATP is used to provide cellular energy, adenosine diphosphate (ADP) accumulates, and ATP supplies are replenished by oxidation of food fuels.

30. Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP)
Figure 2.19a

31. How ATP Drives Cellular Work
Figure 2.20