Biotech

• Biomolecules


  Organic compounds that always contain carbon and hydrogen, found in living organisms
• Inorganic compounds


  Usually have cations and anions, usually bonded ionically, few atoms, often associated with non-living matter
• Organic compounds (Biomolecules)


  Always contain carbon and hydrogen, always bonded covalently, often quite large, with many atoms, usually associated with living systems
• Carbon is the fourth most abundant element in the universe and is the building block of life on earth
• Carbon


  Can form a maximum of 4 bonds, with other carbon atoms or with atoms like N, H and O, can produce long carbon chains and ring structures
• Polymer


  A large molecule (macromolecule) made up of repeating subunits, called monomers

  
• Synthesis of a polymer

  1. Dehydration/Condensation - Removal of water molecule to connect monomers together

  2. Enzymes & energy required
• Breaking down of a polymer

  1. Hydrolysis - Addition of water molecule to disassemble polymers into monomers

  2. Enzymes required
• Why biomolecules are important to life processes

  • Store energy (Lipids)
  • Form cell membranes
  • Provide structural support (Collagen)
  • Help control chemical reactions in organisms (Protein)
  • Store hereditary information (DNA)
• Carbohydrates


  Biomolecules made up of C, H, O elements
• Functions of carbohydrates


  • Energy storage (glucose: quick energy source)
  • Important "materials" for building other biomolecules (e.g. proteins, fats, DNA)
  • Structural components of cells
• Classes of carbohydrates


  • Monosaccharides (single sugar molecule with 3-7 carbon molecules, e.g. glucose, fructose, deoxyribose)
  • Disaccharides (two monosaccharides joined, e.g. lactose, sucrose)
  • Polysaccharides (complex polymers of monosaccharides, e.g. glycogen, starch, cellulose, chitin)

  
• Lipids


  Long-chained hydrocarbon molecules with the carboxylic acid (-COOH) functional group, greasy or oily compounds, insoluble in water
• Lipids


  • Triglycerides, phospholipids, cholesterols, steroids

  
• Triglyceride


  Structure: a glycerol bonded to 3 fatty acid chains, Functions: energy storage, insulation, cushioning

  
• Phospholipid


  Structure: a glycerol linked to a phosphate group and 2 fatty acid chains, Function: main component of cell membrane

  
• Cholesterol


  Structure: 4 interconnected carbon rings, Functions: stabilize cell membrane, used to synthesize hormones, made into bile to help in digestion

  
• More than 60% of your brain is composed of fat, mainly for building the insulation materials around the neurons (myelin sheath)</b>
• Saturated fat


  No double bonds, solid at room temp, originate from animals
• Unsaturated fat


  One or more double bonds, liquid at room temp, originate from plants
• The type of hydrocarbon tails (saturated vs unsaturated) in phospholipids


  Affects the fluidity of plasma membrane
• Proteins


  The "Building block of Body", consist of C, H, O and N elements
• Functions of proteins


  • Mechanical support /movement – Collagen, muscles
  • Enzymes – biological catalyst
  • Transport – Hemoglobin; membrane proteins
  • Defense – antibodies
  • Body regulatory – hormones
  • Support – Keratin, collagen
• Amino acids


  Building blocks of proteins, joined together via peptide bonds to form a polypeptide chain
• Depending on the type of the protein, the number of amino acids can range from 20 to >1000
• All proteins need to be folded into a specific 3D structure, loss of structure = loss of function
• Cellular structures that can be identified from diagrams


  • Cell membrane
  • Cytoplasm
  • Cell wall
  • Cell vacuoles
  • Nucleus (including nuclear membrane & nucleolus)
  • Smooth and rough endoplasmic reticulum
  • Mitochondria
  • Chloroplasts
  • Golgi body
• Prokaryotic cells


  Refers to bacteria
• Prokaryotic cells


  • Simple
  • Small (diameter of 0.2-2.0 µm, length of 2.0-8.0 µm)
  • Absence of nucleus
  • Absence of membrane-bound organelles
• Structures of a prokaryotic cell

  • Cell membrane
  • Cytoplasm
  • Ribosomes
  • Nucleoid, plasmid
  • Cell wall
  • Capsule / Slime layer
• Cell wall


  Located outside cell membrane, fully permeable (porous), component: Peptidoglycan = peptide + sugar
• Functions of cell wall

  • Maintains characteristic shape of cell
  • Prevents cell from bursting
• Cell membrane


  Separate cell from environment, permeability barrier, protein anchor
• Cytoplasm


  Located inside the plasma membrane, 80% water, proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, inorganic ions, low molecular weight compounds
• Nucleoid


  Region in the cytoplasm of prokaryotic cells that consists of mainly DNA molecules (chromosome), RNA and some associated proteins
• Plasmid


  Small, circular double-stranded DNA molecules that can exist independently of the host chromosome, can replicate itself independently
• Plasmid


  • Size ranges from about 2kb to 200kb, single copy plasmid has 1 copy in each host cell, multi-copy plasmids can have more than 1 copy per cell
• Pili


  Hair-like hollow projections on bacteria cell surfaces, made of proteins, to transfer genetic materials from donor bacterial cells to recipient cells
• Fimbriae


  Short protrusions on the surface of bacteria, made of proteins, helps bacteria to adhere to host tissue / environment
• Ribosome


  Numerous in cytoplasm, made of 2 subunits (large and small subunits), consists of protein + ribosomal RNA, prokaryotic ribosome: smaller, 70S