Biochem Intro

• Biochemistry is the application of chemistry to the study of biological processes at the cellular and molecular level.
• Cells are highly organized and constant source of energy to maintain the ordered state.
• Living process contains thousands of chemical reactions.
• All organisms use the same type of molecules.
• Growth, reproduction, developments of each organism is encoded in their DNA.
• Inorganic Chemistry involves substances that do not contain carbon or lack of carbon-hydrogen bonds.
• Organic Chemistry is the study of carbon-containing substances with a few exceptions such as: Water, which has polar covalent bonds with two atoms of hydrogen, and Oxygen, a small, non-polar, inorganic molecule that consists of two oxygen atoms bound together by a double covalent bond, which makes up 21% of the gas in the atmosphere.
• Carbon Dioxide consists of one carbon atom bound to two oxygen atoms bound by a double covalent bond.
• Carbon atoms bound together by covalent bonds is known to be the "backbone" of many large molecules.
• The purposes of utilization of organic molecules include serving as energy molecules for synthesis of ATP, structural components of the cell, and regulatory molecules.
• Four macromolecules that are essential to living organisms are carbohydrates, lipids, protein, and nucleic acids.
• Cells originate from the Latin word "Cella" which means small room.
• Cells are the basic building blocks of life and the smallest living unit of an organism.
• Cells can grow, reproduce, use energy, adapt and respond to their environment.
• Cells cannot be seen by the naked eye.
• Cells are highly organized units.
• Organisms such as bacteria, amoebae and yeasts can consist of few as one cell but human body contains about a trillion cells.
• The nucleus of a cell contains the cell's genetic material.
• Cytoplasm surrounds the nucleus, enclosed by the cell membrane, and contains many types of organelles.
• Cells can be prokaryotic or eukaryotic.
• Prokaryotic cells contain the DNA, cell membrane, cell wall and ribosomes for protein synthesis in cytoplasm.
• Organisms made of prokaryotic cells are called prokaryotes such as bacteria and viruses.
• Prokaryotic cells do not have a membrane-bound nucleus and lack of cell organelles.
• Ribosomes in prokaryotic cells have small size and cellulose is absent in cell wall.
• Eukaryotic cells contain the three basic cell structures: nucleus, cell membrane, and cytoplasm with organelles.
• Organisms made of eukaryotic cells are called eukaryotes such as animals, plants or fungi.
• The cell wall of fungi is made of Chitin.
• Eukaryotic cells have a membrane-bound nucleus and DNA is found inside of it.
• Eukaryotic cells have complete cell organelles.
• Ribosomes in eukaryotic cells are large and presented on the endoplasmic reticulum and cellulose is present in cell walls of plant cells.
• Eukaryotic cells have a complex and larger size with an average diameter of 10-100 nm.
• Plant cells are the only cells that contain cell wall and chloroplast.
• Animal cells are the only cells that contain centrioles.
• Cell functions include cell metabolism and energy use, synthesis of molecules, communication, and reproductive and inheritance.
• Cells contain a copy of the genetic information of an individual.
• Cell metabolism is the chemical reactions that occur within the cells.
• Cell membranes are selectively permeable which means that they allow some substances, but not others to pass into or out of the cells.
• Cytoplasmic material has a different composition than extracellular material.
• Enzymes, glycogen and potassium ions are found in greater concentration inside the cell while sodium, calcium and chlorine are found in greater concentrations in the extracellular fluid.
• Passive transport does not require the cell to expend energy.