Biochemistry Part 1

• Functional Groups


  The part of an organic molecule that undergoes a chemical reaction (the one that has a function)
• Functional Groups


  • A cluster of atoms that always behaves in a certain way
  • Attach to a carbon backbone
• Importance of Functional Groups

  • They undergo the same types of chemical reactions no matter which molecule they are found on
  • They determine the chemical and physical properties of a molecule (ex. Carbonyl group will make a molecule polar)
  • They help us divide organic compounds into families
  • They give us a basis on which to name organic compounds
• Functional Groups found in Biomolecules

  • Hydroxyl
  • Carbonyl
  • Carboxyl
  • Amino
  • Sulfhydryl
  • Phosphate
• Hydroxyl Group

  Found in Alcohols
• Carbonyl Group

  • Found in 1. Aldehydes
  • 2. Ketones
• Carboxyl Group


  Found in Carboxylic Acids, polar and acidic
• Amino Group


  Found in Amines, nitrogen containing, polar and basic (accepts a proton)
• Sulfhydryl Group

  Found in Thiols, slightly polar
• Phosphate Group

  Found in Organic Phosphates, polar with negative charge
• Anabolic Reaction

  A metabolic process that uses energy to synthesize a large molecule from smaller molecules
• Catabolic Reaction

  A metabolic process that involves breaking down a molecule into smaller molecules, usually to release energy
• Neutralization Reaction

  A chemical reaction between an acid and a base, producing water and a salt
• Oxidation-Reduction Reaction


  A chemical reaction that involves the transfer of electrons from one substance to another
• Condensation Reaction


  A chemical reaction that results in the formation of a covalent bond between two molecules with the production of a water molecule
• Hydrolysis Reaction


  A chemical reaction that results in the cleavage of a covalent bond with the addition of a water molecule
• Carbohydrates


  Among the most common organic molecules of Earth, contain Carbon, Hydrogen and Oxygen (Ratio 1:2:1)
• Classification of Carbohydrates

  • Monosaccharide
  • Disaccharide
  • Polysaccharide
• Monosaccharides

  Simple sugars consisting of one sugar unit, can be straight chain or rings with a hydroxyl group attached
• Structural Isomers

  Glucose, galactose and fructose have the same molecular formula but different spatial arrangements, leading to different physical and chemical properties
• Disaccharides

  Two simple sugars bonded together by a covalent glycosidic linkage, formed through a condensation reaction
• Polysaccharides

  Complex carbohydrates, long chains of monosaccharides (several thousand)
• Starch


  Main storage molecule in plants, combination of amylose (straight chain) and amylopectin (branched)
• Cellulose

  Primary structural polysaccharide in plants, straight-chain polymer of ß-glucose held together through ß 1-4 glycosidic linkages
• Glycogen

  Energy storage molecule in animals, similar linkages to amylopectin but more branched
• Chitin

  Found in the hard exoskeleton of insects and crustaceans and the cell wall of fungi, modified cellulose material with nitrogen-containing group
• Lipids

  Long-term energy storage molecules, macromolecules containing C, H and O, more C-H bonds and fewer O-H bonds compared to carbohydrates, hydrophobic
• Lipid Families

  • Fats
  • Phospholipids
  • Steroids
  • Waxes
• Fats (Triglycerides)


  Most common energy storing lipid, contain 3 fatty acids and 1 glycerol molecule, can be saturated or unsaturated
• Phospholipids

  Lipid molecules that compose cell membranes, contain 2 fatty acids, 1 phosphate and 1 glycerol, have a polar hydrophilic head and non-polar hydrophobic tails
• Lipid families

  • Fats
  • Phospholipids
  • Steroids
  • Waxes
• Fats

  • Most common energy storing molecule
  • Stores twice the chemical energy of carbs and proteins
  • Animals convert excess carbohydrates into fat molecules as droplets in the cells of adipose (fat) tissue
• Triglycerides

  • Most common fat in plants and animals
  • Contain 3 fatty acids and one glycerol molecule
  • Can be saturated (all single bonded carbons) or unsaturated (contains double bonds)
• Saturated fatty acid

  • All single bonds
• Unsaturated fatty acid

  • Contains double bonds which create space and air pockets
• Phospholipids

  • Lipid molecule that compose cell membranes
  • 2 fatty acids, one phosphate and one glycerol
  • Hydrophilic head and hydrophobic tails
• Phospholipids in water

  1. Form spheres called micelles

  2. Hydrophilic heads orient towards water

  3. Hydrophobic tails orient inwards towards each other
• Sterols (steroids)

  • Contain four fused hydrocarbon rings and several different functional groups
  • Chemical messengers in the body
• Sterols

  • Cholesterol
  • Testosterone
  • Estradiol
  • Progesterone
• Waxes

  • Contain long-chain fatty acids linked to alcohols or C-rings
  • Hydrophobic with a firm, pliable consistency
  • Ideal for forming waterproof coatings