1.1 Biochem Overview

• Biochemistry

  • Study of the chemical substances found in living organisms and the chemical interactions of these substances with each other. 
• Biochemical substance

  • Chemical substance found within a living organism.
• Types of Biochemical Substances:

  1. Bioinorganic substance
  2. Bioorganic substance
• Bioinorganic substances

  • Water (70%)
  • Inorganic salts (5%) (e.g. NaCl, KCI)
• Bioorganic substances

  • Carbohydrates (2%)
  • Lipids (8%)
  • Proteins (15%)
  • Nucleic acids (2%)
• As isolated compounds, bioinorganic and bioorganic substances have no life in and of themselves.
• When these biochemical substances are gathered together in a cell, their chemical interactions are able to sustain life.