biochem

• Biochemistry


  The study of the chemistry of biomolecules and metabolic processes that constitute and are essential for life
• Molecular Geometry


  The shape and arrangement of atoms in a molecule
• H2O


  Water
• NO3


  Nitrate
• Intermolecular Forces


  • Vanderwaals - weakest; non-polar molecules
  • Permanent dipole - polar molecules
  • Hydrogen "bonding" - strongest
• Net dipole


  The overall polarity of a molecule
• Glucose Metabolism


  The chemical processes involved in the breakdown and utilisation of glucose
• Importance of Biochemistry


  • Nursing students must understand metabolic processes of living cells and their regulation
  • Identification, diagnostics, and characterization of disease are based on biochemical principles
• Lab Safety Rules


  • Dress appropriately
  • Proper supervision
  • Know location of emergency numbers and safety equipment
  • No Food
  • Identify hazards
  • Be attentive
  • Be careful when handling hot glassware
  • Keep a clean workspace
  • Handle glassware carefully
  • Clean up
• Cell


  The functional unit of all known living organisms, the smallest unit of life classified as a living being, the building block of life
• Some organisms are unicellular, others are multicellular
• Humans have about 100 trillion or 10^14 cells, with a typical cell size of 10 μm and a typical cell mass of 1 ng
• Cell Theory


  All organisms are composed of one or more cells, all cells come from pre-existing cells, vital functions of an organism occur within cells, and all cells contain the hereditary information necessary for regulating cell functions and for transmitting information to the next generation
• Types of Cells


  • Eukaryotic (animal)
  • Prokaryotic (plant)
• Differences between Plant and Animal Cells

  • Plant cells have a cell wall, animal cells do not
  • Plant cells have chloroplasts, animal cells do not
  • Plant cells are generally rectangular, animal cells are round or irregular shaped
  • Plant cells usually have one or more large vacuole(s), animal cells have smaller vacuoles
• Cell Wall


  A tough, usually flexible but sometimes rigid layer that surrounds some types of cells, providing structural support and protection, and acting as a filtering mechanism
• Components of Cell Wall

  • Cellulose
  • Hemicellulose
  • Pectin
  • Lignin
• Functions of Cell Wall

  • Acts as a pressure vessel, preventing overexpansion when water enters the cell
  • Found in plants, bacteria, fungi, algae, and some archaea, but not in animals and protozoa
• Cell Wall Compositions


  • Plants - Cellulose
  • Bacteria - Peptidoglycan
  • Archaea - Glycoprotein S-layers, pseudo peptidoglycan, or polysaccharides
  • Fungi - Chitin
  • Algae - Glycoproteins and polysaccharides
  • Diatoms - Sialic acid
• Characteristics of Cell Wall

  • Rigidity from hydraulic turgor pressure and wall structure
  • Semi-permeable, allowing passage of small molecules and proteins
  • Specialized cell-to-cell communication pathways called plasmodesmata
• Bacterial Cell Wall


  Provides structural integrity and protects the cell from internal turgor pressure
• Bacterial Cell Wall Composition

  • Contains peptidoglycan, which is responsible for rigidity and cell shape determination
  • Peptidoglycan is relatively porous and not a permeability barrier for small substrates
• Bacterial Cell Wall Types

  • Gram positive
  • Gram negative
• Gram Positive Cell Wall

  Composed primarily of peptidoglycans (mucopeptides, glycopeptides and mureins)
• Gram Negative Cell Wall


  Teichoic acid is responsible for inability to retain crystal violet stain during Gram staining
• Bacterial Cytoplasmic Membrane


  Composed of a phospholipid bilayer, acts as a permeability barrier and location for molecular transport
• Fimbria and Pili


  Protein tubes that extend out from the outer membrane, involved in attachment and motility
• Fimbria vs Pili


  • Fimbria are short and present in high numbers, Pili are longer and present in low numbers
• Capsule and Slime Layers

  Involved in attachment to other cells or surfaces to form biofilms, can also serve as food reserves
• Flagellum


  Whip-like structure responsible for bacterial motility, with unique arrangements for different species
• Cell Membrane


  Surrounds the cytoplasm, semi-permeable to allow selective passage of substances
• Cytoplasm


  Watery solution of minerals, gases, and organic molecules where chemical reactions occur
• Cell Organelles


  • Chloroplast
  • Vacuole
  • Cytoskeleton
  • Endoplasmic Reticulum
  • Golgi Apparatus
• Chloroplast


  Specialized organelle containing chlorophyll and the biochemical systems for light harvesting and photosynthesis
• Vacuole


  Membrane-bound sac that plays roles in intracellular digestion and release of waste products, especially large in plant cells
• Cytoskeleton


  Organizes and maintains cell shape, anchors organelles, facilitates endocytosis, cytokinesis, and cell movement
• Endoplasmic Reticulum


  Interconnected network of tubules, vesicles, and cisternae that synthesize proteins and lipids, regulate calcium, and detoxify drugs
• Golgi Apparatus


  Modifies, sorts, and packages proteins and lipids for distribution to their target locations
• Cytoplasm


  • Helps during endocytosis, the uptake of external materials by a cell and cytokinesis, the separation of daughter cells after cell division; and moves parts of the cell in processes of growth and mobility
• Endoplasmic reticulum


  A eukaryotic organelle that forms an interconnected network of tubules, vesicles, and cisternae within cells