BIOCHEMISTRY

What is
Biochemistry?
 Study of biological molecules and their roles in
organisms.

Metabolism
- Catabolism
- Anabolism

Bonds link atoms and elements together to form

compounds.
- Covalent
- Electrovalent / ionic
- Hydrogen
- bridges
 Specific reactions catalyzed by enzymes take
these compounds apart.
Hydrolysis
 Biological Molecules
These are the molecules we will be studying:
- Water
- Carbohydrates
- Lipids
- Proteins
- Nucleic acids
WATER
 Water:
Forms 70% of bodies of animals.
Forms 90% of plants.
Surrounds ALL cells.
Is the medium in which life evolved.
Is needed by ALL organisms.
Makes up about 71% of the earths surface.
Is made from 2 atoms of _____ and 1 atom of ______.
Has a boiling point of 100oC (212oF).
Has a density of 999.97 kgm-3
Is dipolar.
Structure of a Water

Molecule
Properties and Functions
 Properties

As A Solvent
 Polar substances readily dissolve in water.
Solvent in cells.
Medium for chemical reactions to occur.
Transport media:
- blood
- plasma
- lymph
- phloem
- sap
 High Specific Heat Capacity
The amount of heat energy needed to raise the
temperature of one gram of water by one degree
Celsius.
Is 4.184 Joules of energy. Compare to 0.385 J of that
of copper
Allows fish to survive in
seas despite temperature
changes.
Allows chemical reactions to
occur within the body.
 High Latent Heat Fusion
The amount of energy needed to be lost from
water to change it to ice.
Implications:
- Decreases in temperature do not cause
water in cells to form ice.
- Cell membranes are not damaged by ice.
- When ice forms its volume increases and
this is dangerous to cells.
 High Latent Heat of Vapourization.

Much thermal energy is needed to cause water

to change to water vapour.
Implications:
- Water in ponds, lakes etc. do not
evaporate quickly in higher temperatures.
- efficient for cooling purposes.
 Change of Density with Temperature.
As water cools to below 4oC water occupies less
space than it does at room temperature.
Ice is less dense than water
Implications:
- Ice floats on the surface of ponds and can act
as an insulator keeping the temperature of the
water below from dropping.
- Ice thaws quickly when temperaures rise again
since it is closer to the surface
- Provides buoyancy for aquatic organisms.
 High Cohesion
Hydrogen bonds between water molecules tend
to pull them down and together where water and
air meet. This is described forces of cohesion.
- allows water to move up xylem.
- provides surface tension.
 Is an Amphoteric Molecule
Water acts both as an acid and a base. It gives
up electrons to form H+ ions and gains
electrons to form OH- ions.
2H2O H3O+ + OH-

Thus it acts as a buffer in many biochemical

reactions taking place inside the cell. A buffer
helps to prevent change in the pH of a
solution when acid or alkali is added to it by
neutralizing any excess H+ or OH- introduced.
 Is Reactive
Raw material for photosynthesis.
Provides electrons for respiration and
photosynthesis to occur
Used in Hydrolysis.
 Is Incompressible
Water cannot be compressed or squeezed into
a smaller volume.
Implications:
- turgidity in plants
- hydrostatic skeleton in animals
 Questions
Why do hydrogen bonds form between water
molecules?
What is the importance of water as a
component of cells, a transport medium and a
coolant?
Discuss why the presence of liquid water on
Earth is so important for life as we know it.
 Home - Work
Define the terms solvent; solute; insoluble;
dipolar; cohesion.
Find the names of seven different biological
molecules that dissolve in water and seven
that do not.
Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of
water as an environment for organisms.
Find out what happened to water on the
planet Venus.
 Home-Work
Name one biological molecule that carries out
each of the following functions:
Energy transduction
Energy storage
Information storage
Transport of Oxygen
Carrying messages
Protection against disease - causing
organisms