intro

• Biochemistry


  Chemistry of living beings or chemical basis of life
• Life from a biochemistry point of view

  • Hundreds of biochemical reactions and biochemical processes
  • Occurring in sub-cellular organelles of a cell in an organized manner
• Biochemistry


  Branch of life science that deals with the study of biochemical reactions and processes occurring in living cells of organisms
• Organic compounds


  Any of a large class of chemical compounds in which one or more atoms of carbon are covalently linked to atoms of other elements, most commonly hydrogen, oxygen, or nitrogen

  
• Carbon-containing compounds not classified as organic include carbides, carbonates, and cyanides
• Hydrocarbons


  Most basic type of organic molecules; comprised of only 2 elements: hydrogen and carbon
• Hydrocarbon molecules


  • Have one or more central carbon atoms in a branched or chain-like structure, surrounded by hydrogen atoms

  
• Aliphatic hydrocarbons


  Hydrocarbons based on chains of C atoms

  
• Types of aliphatic hydrocarbons

  • Alkanes - only single covalent bonds
  • Alkenes - contain at least one C=C double bond
  • Alkynes - that contain a CC triple bond
  • Cycloalkanes - an aliphatic hydrocarbon with a ring of C atoms

  
• Aromatic hydrocarbons


  Such as benzene, are flat-ring systems that contain continuously overlapping p orbitals

  
• Electrons in the benzene ring have special energetic properties that give benzene physical and chemical properties that are markedly different from alkanes

  
• Functional group


  An atom or group of atoms within a molecule that has similar chemical properties whenever it appears in various compounds

  
• Alcohol functional group


  Involves an oxygen atom that is bonded to one hydrogen atom and one carbon atom

  
• Generic alcohol


  Represented by the formula R-OH, where R represents any organic fragment, typically a chain of carbon atoms

  
• Types of alcohols


  • Primary alcohol - the carbon bonded directly to the oxygen atom is also bonded to exactly one carbon atom
  • Secondary alcohol - the carbon is attached to two other carbon atoms
  • Tertiary alcohol - the carbon is bonded to three other carbon atoms

  
• The type of alcohol being used will determine the product of certain reactions

  
• Carbonyl group


  A divalent chemical unit consisting of a carbon (C) and an oxygen (O) atom connected by a double bond

  
• Aldehyde


  A carbonyl in which the carbon atom is bonded to at least one hydrogen atom. The other group attached to the carbonyl may be an R-group or a hydrogen atom

  
• Because the hydrogen atom is so small, the partial positive charge on the carbonyl carbon is very easy for other molecules to approach, making aldehydes a particularly reactive type of carbonyl. Aldehydes are versatile reactants for a wide variety of organic syntheses. Many aldehydes also have distinctive flavors and aromas

  
• Ketones


  Have single bonds with two R-groups, undergo most of the same reactions as aldehydes, but they tend to be slightly less reactive

  
• Ketones


  • The simplest ketone is acetone, in which the carbonyl carbon is bonded to two CH3 groups
  • Methyl ethyl ketone is used as a paint stripper and a solvent
• Carbohydrates


  Organic compounds that contain only Carbon (C), Hydrogen (H), and Oxygen (O). They contain a chain of carbons, polyhydroxy aldehydes or ketones, or substances that yield such compounds on hydrolysis. Every carbon atom is attached to one oxygen atom

  
• There are thousands of different carbohydrates, but they all consist of one or more smaller units called monosaccharides

  
• Importance of carbohydrates


  • They provide energy through oxidation
  • They supply carbon for the synthesis of cell components
  • They serve as a form of stored chemical energy
  • They form part of the structures of some cells and tissues
• Carbohydrates, along with lipids, nucleic acid, proteins, and other compounds are known as biomolecules because they are closely associated with living organisms

  
• Occurrence of carbohydrates


  • Almost 75% of dry plant material is produced by photosynthesis
  • Examples of carbohydrates are cellulose which is are structural component of plants, starch the energy reservoir in plants, and glycogen (animal starch) found in animal tissues and the human body in smaller quantities
  • Plant products are the major source of carbohydrates and average human diet contains 2/3 of carbohydrates

  
• Recommended percentage the daily diet

  • Recommended carbohydrates ~ 60%
  • Recommended sucrose less than 10%
• Structure of carbohydrate


  • Functional group of either aldehyde or ketone
  • Hydroxyl group

  
• Types of carbohydrates by number of units

  • Monosaccharides: 1
  • Disaccharides: 2
  • Oligosaccharides: 3-10
  • Polysaccharides: 11+

  
• Chirality


  Chiral molecules have the same relationship to each other that your left and right hands have when reflected in a mirror. Achiral objects can be superimposed on the mirror images