Simple Introduction in Biochemistry for Medical Laboratory Science PDF

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INTRODUCTION TO BIOCHEMISTRY What is Biochemistry? 

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Biochemistry is the branch of science that explores the chemical processes within and related to living organisms. It is a laboratorybased science that brings together biology and chemistry. By using chemical knowledge and techniques, biochemists can understand and solve biological problems. Biochemistry is a branch of medical science that seeks to describe the structure, organization and functions of living matter in molecular terms. Biochemistry is the chemistry of life.

Biochemistry focuses on: 1. Processes happening at a molecular level. 2. What’s happening inside our cells, studying components like proteins, lipids and organelles. 3. How cells communicate with each other, for example during growth or fighting illness. 4. How the structure of a molecule relates to its function, allowing them to predict how molecules will interact. Biochemistry is divided into 3 areas: 1. Structural chemistry 2. Metabolism 3. Chemistry of molecular genetics Roots of Biochemistry:       

Karl Scheele – Swedish founder of biochemistry. He studied the chemical composition of matter in mid1700. Schleiden & Schwann – formulated the cell theory in 1840. Walter Flemming – discovered chromosomes in 1875 Carl Alexander Neuberg – a German scientist who coined the word biochemistry Hans Krebs – Proposed the Krebs cycle of the TCA in 1937. Gustav Embden & Otto Meyerhof – described the glycolytic pathway in 1925. James Watson & Francis Crick – described the double helical structure of DNA in 1953

Differences between Living things from Non-living things: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

They are complicated and highly organized. Each part of a living organism appears to have a specific purpose of function They are able to extract energy from the environment They are capable of reproducing themselves through generations They exhibit common properties of living matter

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Organisms can be classified according to their source of energy (sunlight or oxidizable chemical compounds) and their source of carbon for the synthesis of cellular material.

What are Biomolecules? 

Biomolecules are molecules found in living matter.  Two broad types: - Small molecules - Macromolecules

Importance of Macromolecules:   

Essential structures for the basis of life Control and regulate these processes Responsible for energy exchanges, irritability, metabolism, mobility and reproduction

What are the Primordial Biomolecules? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Amino Acids – glycine, alanine, serine Nitrogenous bases – pyrimidines, purines Sugars – glucose, galactose, mannose Sugar alcohol - glycerol Nitrogenous alcohol – choline Fatty acids – palmitic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, arachidonic acid

Biochemistry in Relation to Medicine? 

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The aims, attitudes and techniques of biochemistry are as relevant to medicine or to any aspect of biology. o To understand the true nature of diseases. All diseases have a biochemical basis. o To give patients the necessary or appropriate dietary advice to prevent disease. o Special relevance to medicine are areas of blood coagulation and effects of drugs and other injected substances on tissue and cells. o To diagnose and manage disease through the analysis of blood, urine and other body fluids. o To carry out complex analyses on specimens of body fluids and tissues.

Summary Biochemistry is the science concerned with the chemical basis of life. It is also the science concerned with the chemical constituents of living cells and with the reactions and processes they undergo. It is the application of the principles and methods of chemistry to the field of biology and physiology. It is the language of biology basic to the understanding of the different phenomena both in the biological and medical sciences. Biochemistry encompasses large areas of cell biology, molecular biology and molecular genetics....