Title of the lecture:
An Introduction to Biochemistry
By:
Professor
Dr. Salar A. Ahmed
MSc,. PhD. Aristotle University of Thessaloniki–Greece
College of Medicine
Hawler Medical Unversity
What is Biochemistry?
• Biochemistry = Chemistry of life.
• Biochemistry is the study of life on a
molecular level & is concerned with the
chemical constituents of living cells
• Basic principles of biochemistry are
common to all living organisms
• Biochemists use physical and chemical
principles to explain biology at the
molecular level.
How does biochemistry impact you?
Medicine
Agriculture
Industrial applications
Environmental applications
Relation between biochemistry and medicine
1- Protein ……………kwashiorkor, and sickle
cell anemia
2- Lipids ……..atherosclerosis
3- Carbohydrates …………diabetes mellitus
4- Nucleic acids …… genetic disease
Knowledge of biochemistry is essential to
all life sciences
Understanding causes of diseases at
molecular level:
Physical agents
Chemical agents
Oxygen lack
Genetic diseases
Immunological reactions
Endocrine imbalances or deficiency
diseases etc
Principle Areas of Biochemistry
• Structure and function of biological
macromolecules
• Metabolism: Anabolic and catabolic processes of
life
• Molecular Genetics: How life is replicated and
Regulated
Organization of Life
• Elements
• Simple organic compounds (monomers)
• Macromolecules (polymers)
• Supramolecular structures
• Organelles
• Cells
• Tissues
• Organisms
Range of the
sizes of objects
studies by
Biochemist and
Biologist
1 angstrom = 0.1
nm
Elements of Life
But how many of them exist in life?
Most abundant, essential for all organisms:
Element Human dry wt%
Oxygen 20%
Carbon 50%
Hydrogen 10%
Nitrogen 8.5
Phosphorus 2.5
Sulfur 0.8 %
Less abundant, essential for all organisms 5 common ions
Ion Human dry wt%
Ca 4%
K 1%
Na 0.4%
Mg 0.1 %
Cl 0.4 %
Trace levels, essential for all organism: Mn, Fe, Co, Cu, Zn
Trace levels, essential for some organisms: V, Cr, Mo, B, Al, Ga, Sn,
Si, As, Se, I,
Major complex bimoleculars of cells
Biomolecule Bullding block Major functions
Protein AA Structure and function
Carbohydrate Mono sacharide Storage energy
Lipids FAs & glycerol Storage energy
DNA Deoxyribonuclotides Hereditary information
RNA Ribonuclotidesw Protein biosynthesis
Composition of life
Chemical composition for a man weighting 65 kg
Bimoleculars kg %
Protein 11 17%
Fat 9 13.8%
Carbohydrate 1 1.5%
Water 40 61.6%
Others 4 6.1%
Many Important Biomolecules are Polymers
lipid protein carbo nucleic
s s acids
monome
r
polyme
r
supramolecula
r
structure
Lipids
monome
r
polyme
r
supramolecula
r
structure
Proteins
monome amino
r acid
polyme protein subunit
r
supramolecula
r Enzyme
structure complex
Carbohydrates
monome
r
polyme
r
supramolecula
r
structure
Nucleic Acids
monome
r
polyme
r
supramolecula
r
structure
What do we study in biochemistry?
1- Chemical constituents of life
❖ Carbohydrate
❖ Proteins and anino acids
❖ Lipids
❖ Nucleic acids
❖ Enzymes
❖ Vitamins
❖ Minerals
2-Physiological biochemistry
Digestion and absorption
Plasma proteins
Biological oxidation
Energy rich compounds
Biological oxidation
Respiratory chain
Oxidative phosphorylation
3- Metabolism
Carbohydrate
Proteins
Lipds
Minerals
Hormons
Nuclic acids
Prostaglandin
4-Genetics and molecular biology
Genetics introduction
Nucleotides
Replication
Transcription
Recombinant DNA technology
Human genome project
Gene therapy
5- Clinical chemistry
Insulin and DM
Liver function tests
Kidney function tests
MI
Tumer markers and cancer biochemistry
Jaundice
Free radicals and antioxidants
Water and electrolyte and acid base
balance
Inborn errors of metabolism
