The Chairman and the Athlete

Biochemistry is the study of chemical processes in living organisms. Biochemistry governs all living organisms and living processes. By controlling information flow through biochemical signalling and the flow of chemical energy through metabolism, biochemical processes give rise to the seemingly magical phenomenon of life. Much of biochemistry deals with thestructures and functions of cellular components such as proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, nucleic acids and other biomolecules although increasingly processes rather than individual molecules are the main focus. Over the last 40 years biochemistry has become so successful at explaining living processes that now almost all areas of the life sciences from botany to medicine are engaged in biochemical research. Today the main focus of pure biochemistry is in understanding how biological molecules give rise to the processes that occur within living cells which in turn relates greatly to the study and understanding of whole organisms.

Among the vast number of different biomolecules, many are complex and large molecules (called polymers), which are composed of similar repeating subunits (called monomers). Each class of polymeric biomolecule has a different set of subunit types.For example, a protein is a polymer whose subunits are selected from a set of 20 or more amino acids. Biochemistry studies the chemical properties of important biological molecules, like proteins, and in particular the chemistry of enzyme-catalyzed reactions.

The biochemistry of cell metabolism and the endocrine system has been extensively described. Other areas of biochemistry include the genetic code (DNA, RNA), protein synthesis, cell membrane transport, and signal transduction.

History Of BioChemistry

Monomers and Polymers

The four main classes of molecules in biochemistry are carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids. Many biological molecules are polymers: in this terminology, monomers are relatively small micromolecules that are linked together to create large macromolecules, which are known as polymers. When monomers are linked together to synthesize a biological polymer, they undergo a process called dehydration synthesis.

*Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are made from monomers called monosaccharides. Some of these monosaccharides include glucose (C₆H₁₂O₆), fructose (C₆H₁₂O₆), anddeoxyribose (C₅H₁₀O₄). When two monosaccharides undergo dehydration synthesis, water is produced, as two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom are lost from the two monosaccharides' hydroxyl group.

1) Glucose

Although it is called a "simple sugar" (meaning that it is a monosaccharide), glucose is a complicated molecule because it adopts several different structures. These structures are usually discussed in the context of the acyclic isomer, which exists in only minor amounts in solution.

Glucose is derived from hexanal, a chain of six carbon atoms terminating with an aldehyde group. The other five carbon atoms each bear alcohol groups. Glucose is called an aldohexose. In solution, glucose mainly exists as the six-membered ring containing a hemiacetal group, which arises from the reaction of the hydroxy group at C-5 and the aldehyde at C-1. Containing five carbon atoms and one oxygen atom, this ring is a derivative of pyran. This cyclic form of glucose is called a glucopyranose, of which two isomers exist.

Glucose metabolism and various forms of it in the process.
-Glucose-containing compounds and isomericforms are digested and taken up by the body in the intestines, including starch, glycogen,disaccharides and monosaccharides.
-Glucose is stored in mainly the liver and muscles as glycogen.
-It is distributed and utilized in tissues as free glucose.

2) Fructose

Fructose, or fruit sugar, is a simple monosaccharide found in many foods. It is one of the three important dietary monosaccharides along with glucose and galactose. The organic fructose molecule was first discovered by Augustin-Pierre Dubrunfaut in 1847.^[3] Fructose is a white solid that dissolves in water – it is the most water-soluble of all the sugars.^[4] Honey, tree fruits, berries, melons, and some root vegetables contain significant amounts of molecular fructose, usually in combination with glucose, stored in the form of sucrose. About 240,000 tonnes of crystalline fructose are produced annually

AHHHHHH!!!!! Im Cravin' for Sweets

3) Deoxyribose

Deoxyribose, more precisely 2-deoxyribose, is a monosaccharide with idealized formula H-(C=O)-(CH₂)-(CHOH)₃-H. Its name indicates that it is a deoxy sugar, meaning that it is derived from the sugar ribose by loss of an oxygen atom. Since the pentose sugars arabinose and ribose only differ by the stereochemistry at C2', 2-deoxyribose and 2-deoxyarabinose are equivalent, although the latter term is rarely used because ribose, not arabinose, is the precursor to deoxyribose.

Chemistry..... Jokessss

Rules of the Lab

If an experiment works, something has gone wrong.

When you don't know what you're doing, do it neatly.

Experiments must be reproducible, they should fail the same way each time.

First draw your curves, then plot your data.

Experience is directly proportional to equipment ruined.

Always keep a record of your data. It indicates that you have been working.

To do a lab really well, have your report done well in advance.

If you can't get the answer in the usual manner, start at the answer and derive the question.

In case of doubt, make it sound convincing.

Do not believe in miracles - rely on them.

Teamwork is essential, it allows you to blame someone else.

All unmarked beakers contain fast-acting, extremely toxic poisons.

No experiment is a complete failure. At least it can serve as a negative example.

Any delicate and expensive piece of glassware will break before any use can be made of it.

"My name is Bond - Covalent Bond."

Here is a funny chemistry story. Somebody wrote a paper about how this chemical, dihydrogenoxide, has killed over 100,000 people world wide, usually through inhalation. The story also went on that even if you wash your food you can never get this chemical off. No matter what you do you will be exposed to this very dangerous chemical every day of your life until you die. The story finished by claiming that there needs to be a government research group founded to find a solution. yada yada yada...anyhow, a local press guy got a hold of this joke, if you haven't figured it out di-hydrogen-oxide is the correct name for H2O or water. The deaths that he was quoting were from drownings. Anyhow, this local guy ran the article in a paper and started a big outcry for a government study before they realized what the story was about.....kinda funny chemistry humor.

Water is composed of two gins, Oxygin and Hydrogin. Oxygin is pure gin. Hydrogin is gin and water.

*Lipids

Lipids are usually made from one molecule of glycerol combined with other molecules. In triglycerides, the main group of bulk lipids, there is one molecule of glycerol and three fatty acids. Fatty acids are considered the monomer in that case, and may besaturated (no double bonds in the carbon chain) or unsaturated (one or more double bonds in the carbon chain).

Lipids, especially phospholipids, are also used in various pharmaceutical products, either as co-solubilisers (e.g. in parenteral infusions) or else as drug carrier components (e.g. in a liposome or transfersome).

A triglyceride with a glycerol molecule on the left and three fatty acids coming off it

*Proteins

Proteins are very large molecules – macro-biopolymers – made from monomers called amino acids. There are 20 standard amino acids, each containing a carboxyl group, an amino group, and a side chain (known as an "R" group). The "R" group is what makes each amino acid different, and the properties of the side chains greatly influence the overall three-dimensional conformation of a protein. When amino acids combine, they form a special bond called a peptide bond through dehydration synthesis, and become a polypeptide, or protein.

To determine if two proteins are related or in other words to decide whether they are homologous or not, scientists use sequence-comparison methods. Methods like Sequence Alignments and Structural Alignments are powerful tools that help scientist identify homologies between related molecules. The relevance of finding homologies among proteins goes beyond forming an evolutionary pattern of protein families. By finding how similar two protein sequences are, we acquire knowledge about their structure and therefore their function.

*Nucleic Acid

Nucleic acids are the molecules that make up DNA, an extremely important substance which all cellular organisms use to store their genetic information. The most common nucleic acids are deoxyribonucleic acid and ribonucleic acid. Their monomers are called nucleotides. The most common nucleotides are Adenine, Cytosine, Guanine, Thymine, and Uracil. Adenine binds with thymine and uracil; Thymine only binds with Adenine; and Cytosine and Guanine can only bind with each other.

The structure of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), the picture shows the monomers being put together.

Biochemistry Videos!!!!

Chemistry Jokes Again

Q. What do you do when you find a dead chemist?
A. Barium.

Q. What is the purpose of a doctor?
A. Helium.

Q: What happens when electrons lose their energy?
A: They get Bohr'ed.

Teacher: What is the formula for water?
Student: H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O
Teacher: That's not what I taught you.
Student: But you said the formula for water was...H to O.

Q: Why do chemists like nitrates so much?
A: They're cheaper than day rates.

Why do white bears dissolve in water? Because they're polar.

A physicist, biologist and a chemist were going to the ocean for the first time.
The physicist saw the ocean and was fascinated by the waves. He said he wanted to do some research on the fluid dynamics of the waves and walked into the ocean. Obviously, he was drowned and never returned.
The biologist said he wanted to do research on the flora and fauna inside the ocean and walked inside the ocean. He too, never returned.
The chemist waited for a long time and afterwards, wrote the observation, "The physicist and the biologist are soluble in ocean water".

Facts and Info's