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    Chapter 6

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    Marlop Casicas
    1) The document discusses the biochemical basis of life, including organic chemistry, biochemistry, carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids. 2) Key biomolecules include monosaccharides like glucose, disaccharides like sucrose, polysaccharides like starch and glycogen, fatty acids that make up lipids, amino acids that form proteins, and nucleic acids DNA and RNA. 3) DNA contains genes and replicates to pass genetic information to daughter cells, while RNA aids in protein production through transcription and translation as per the Central Dogma.

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    Chapter 6

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    Marlop Casicas
    113 views22 pages
    1) The document discusses the biochemical basis of life, including organic chemistry, biochemistry, carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids. 2) Key biomolecules include monosaccharides like glucose, disaccharides like sucrose, polysaccharides like starch and glycogen, fatty acids that make up lipids, amino acids that form proteins, and nucleic acids DNA and RNA. 3) DNA contains genes and replicates to pass genetic information to daughter cells, while RNA aids in protein production through transcription and translation as per the Central Dogma.

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    1) The document discusses the biochemical basis of life, including organic chemistry, biochemistry, carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids. 2) Key biomolecules include monosaccharides like glucose, disaccharides like sucrose, polysaccharides like starch and glycogen, fatty acids that make up lipids, amino acids that form proteins, and nucleic acids DNA and RNA. 3) DNA contains genes and replicates to pass genetic information to daughter cells, while RNA aids in protein production through transcription and translation as per the Central Dogma.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    113 views22 pages

    Chapter 6

    Uploaded by

    Marlop Casicas
    1) The document discusses the biochemical basis of life, including organic chemistry, biochemistry, carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids. 2) Key biomolecules include monosaccharides like glucose, disaccharides like sucrose, polysaccharides like starch and glycogen, fatty acids that make up lipids, amino acids that form proteins, and nucleic acids DNA and RNA. 3) DNA contains genes and replicates to pass genetic information to daughter cells, while RNA aids in protein production through transcription and translation as per the Central Dogma.

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    of 22

    BURTON'S

    MICROBIOLOGY
    FOR THE HEALTH SCIENCES

    Chapter 6:

    The
    Biochemical
    Basis of Life
    ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
    –Carbon Bonds
    –Cyclic Compounds.

    BIOCHEMISTRY
    –Carbohydrates
    –Lipids
    –Proteins
    –Nucleic Acids
    Introduction
    •A microorganism can be thought of as a “bag” of chemicals that
    interact with each other in a variety of ways; even the bag itself
    is composed of chemicals.
    •Everything a microorganism is and does is related to chemistry.
    •Organic chemistry is the study of compounds that contain
    carbon.
    •Inorganic chemistry involves all other chemical
    •Biochemistry is the chemistry of living cells
    Organic
    Chemistry
    •Organic compounds contain carbon.
    •Organic compounds are not necessarily
    related to living organisms
    •Organic chemistry involves fossil fuels,
    dyes, drugs, paper, ink, paints, plastics,
    gasoline, rubber tires, food, and
    clothing.
    Organic
    Chemistry
    •Carbon atoms can bond to four other
    atoms.
    •There are three ways in which carbon
    atoms can bond to each other: single
    bond, double bond, and triple bond.
    •A covalent bond is one in which a pair
    of electrons is shared.
    •When atoms of other elements attach to
    available carbon bonds, compounds are
    formed.
    •A series of carbon atoms bonded
    together is referred to as a chain.
    •When carbon atoms link to other carbon
    atoms to close a chain, they form rings
    or cyclic compounds.
    Organic
    Chemistry

    •If only hydrogen atoms are bonded to


    the available carbon bonds,
    hydrocarbons are formed.

    •Therefore, a hydrocarbon is an organic


    molecule that contains only carbon and
    hydrogen atoms; some examples of
    simple hydrocarbons are shown here:
    Biochemistry
    •Biochemistry is the study of biology at
    the molecularlevel; it is the chemistry of
    living organisms.
    •Biochemistry involves the study of
    biomolecules present within living
    organisms biomolecules in living
    organisms are usually large molecules
    called macromolecules.
    •Macromolecules include carbohydrates,
    lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids.
    –Other examples: vitamins, enzymes,
    hormones, and energy-carrying
    molecules such as adenosine
    triphosphate (ATP).
    Biochemistry
    Carbohydrates

    •Carbohydrates are biomolecules


    composed of carbon, hydrogen, and
    oxygen (in the ratio 1:2:1).
    •Examples include glucose, fructose,
    sucrose, lactose, maltose, starch,
    cellulose, and
    glycogen.
    •Categories of carbohydrates include
    monosaccharides, disaccharides, and
    polysaccharides.
    Biochemistry
    Monosaccharides
    •Monosaccharides are the smallest and
    simplest of the carbohydrates. Mono
    means one, referring to the number of
    rings in the structure.
    –Glucose (C6H12O6) is the most
    important monosaccharide in nature
    –The main source of energy for body
    cells is glucose.
    Biochemistry
    Disaccharides

    •“Di” means two; disaccharides are


    double-ringed sugars that result from
    the combination of two
    monosaccharides
    •Sucrose (table sugar), lactose, and
    maltose are examples of disaccharides.
    •Disaccharides react with water in a
    process called a hydrolysis reaction,
    which causes them to break down into
    two monosaccharides.
    Biochemistry
    Polysaccharides

    •Polysaccharides
    are defined as carbohydrates that
    are composed of many
    monosaccharides. Most contain
    hundreds (e.g., starch and glycogen).
    •Polysaccharides serve two main
    functions:
    –Store of energy (e.g., glycogen in
    animal cells and starch in plant cells)
    –Provide a “tough” molecule for
    structural support and protection (e.g.,
    bacterial capsules)
    Lipids

    •An important class of biomolecules.


    •Lipids are essential constituents of
    most living cells.
    •Lipids can be classified into the
    following categories:
    -Waxes -Glycolipids
    -Fats and oils -Steroids
    -Phospholipids -Prostaglandins and
    leukotrienes
    Lipids •Fatty acids are the building blocks of
    Fatty Acids lipids; they are long-chain carboxylic
    acids that are insoluble in water.
    •Saturated fatty acids contain one
    single bond between carbon atoms;
    they are solid at room temperature.
    •Monounsaturated fatty acids have
    one double bond in the carbon chain
    and are found in butter, olives, and
    peanuts.
    •Polyunsaturated fatty acids contain
    two or more double bonds
    and are found in soybeans, safflowers,
    and corn.
    •Essential fatty acids cannot be
    synthesized in the human body and
    must be provided in the diet.
    Lipids
    Waxes, Fats •A wax consists of a saturated fatty
    and Oil acid and a long-chain alcohol.
    –Examples:
    the wax coating on fruits, leaves, skin,
    fur, and feathers of animals.
    •Fats and oils are the most common
    types of lipids.
    They are also known as triglycerides
    because they are composed of
    glycerol and three fatty acids.
    •Most fats come from animal sources
    (e.g., beef); most
    oils come from plant sources (e.g.,
    olive oil).
    Lipids
    Phospholipids •Phospholipids
    contain glycerol, fatty acids, a
    phosphate group, and an alcohol. There
    are two types:
    –Glycerophospholipids (also known as
    phosphoglycerides)
    –Sphingolipids
    •Glycerophospholipids are
    the most abundant lipids in cell
    membranes.
    Proteins
    •Proteins are the most essential
    chemicals in all living cells
    •Some proteins are the structural
    components of membranes, cells, and
    tissues; others are enzymes and
    hormones.
    •All proteins are polymers of amino
    acids.
    •All proteins contain carbon, hydrogen,
    oxygen, and nitrogen (and sometimes
    sulfur).
    Proteins
    Amino Acids
    •Amino acids contain carbon, hydrogen,
    oxygen, and nitrogen; some also have
    sulfur in the molecule.
    •Humans can synthesize certain amino
    acids, but not others.
    •The thousands of different proteins in
    the human body are composed of a
    wide variety of amino acids in various
    quantities and arrangements.
    Proteins
    Enzyme

    •Enzymes are specialized protein


    molecules produced by living cells. They
    are known as biological catalysts;
    that is, they catalyze (speed up)
    metabolic reactions.
    •Almost every chemical reaction in a
    cell requires a specific enzyme.
    •DNA and RNA form the fourth major group of Nucleic Acids Function
    biomolecules in living cells.
    •DNA and RNA are critical to proper functioning of
    a cell.
    •DNA is the “hereditary molecule”¾the molecule that
    contains the genes and genetic code.
    •RNA molecules participate in the conversion of the
    genetic code into proteins and other gene products.
    •The five nitrogenous bases in nucleic
    acids are adenine (A), guanine (G), thymine (T),
    cytosine (C), and uracil (U). A and G are purines; T,
    C, and U are
    pyrimidines.
    –Thymine is found in DNA but not in RNA. Uracil is
    found in RNA, but not in DNA. The
    other three bases are found in both.
    •
    DNA
    Structure
    •For a double-stranded DNA molecule
    to form, the nitrogenous bases on the
    two separate strands must bond
    together.
    –A always bonds with T via two
    hydrogen bonds.
    –G always bonds with C via three
    hydrogen bonds.
    –A–T and G–C are known as “base
    pairs.”
    •The bonding forces of the double-
    stranded polymer cause it to assume
    the shape of a double a-helix, similar to
    a right-handedspiral staircase.
    DNA
    Replication
    •When a cell is preparing to divide, all
    DNA molecules in the chromosomes of
    the cell must duplicate, thereby
    ensuring that the same genetic
    information is passed on to both
    daughter cells. This is called DNA
    replication.
    DNA
    •A gene is a particular segment of a DNA Gene Expression
    molecule or chromosome.
    •It is the sequence of the four nitrogenous
    bases of DNA (i.e., A, G, C, and T) that spell
    out the instructions for a particular gene
    product.
    •The Central Dogma explains the flow of
    genetic information within a cell (proposed by
    Francis Crick in 1957).
    –DNA mRNA protein.
    –Onegene of a DNA molecule is used to make
    one molecule of mRNA by a process known as
    transcription.
    –The genetic information in the mRNA is then
    used to make one or more protein by a process
    known as translation.

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