INTRO TO BIOCHEM

Bio

Life

Chemistry

Study of matter and the changes it undergoes

Biochemistry

The branch of science studying the chemical and physical processes in organisms

Organic Chemistry

The study of carbon compounds, particularly those with carbon-carbon bonds

Organic Compounds

Compounds primarily composed of a carbon skeleton

Carbon

An element that can form long chains and rings, capable of forming 4 covalent bonds

Covalent Bonds

Bonds formed when carbon atoms bond with up to four other atoms

Macromolecules

Large molecules in biochemistry, including carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids

Polymers

Large molecules made up of repeating units called monomers

Monomers

Single units that assemble to form polymers

Carbohydrates

Macromolecules made of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen in a 1:2:1 ratio, key energy source for living things

Monosaccharide

The monomer of carbohydrates, examples include glucose and fructose

Polysaccharide

A carbohydrate formed by the combination of two or more monosaccharides

Lipids

Molecules consisting of long hydrocarbon chains, often attached to glycerol, and are nonpolar

Saturated Fats

Fats that are usually solid at room temperature, often from animal products, can raise cholesterol levels

Unsaturated Fats

Fats that contain double or triple bonds, usually liquid at room temperature

Proteins

Macromolecules made of amino acids, coded by DNA

Amino Acids

The building blocks of proteins

Peptide Bond

The bond formed between amino acids through dehydration synthesis

Levels of Protein Structure

Primary (amino acid sequence), Secondary (helices and sheets), Tertiary (disulfide bridges), Quaternary (multiple polypeptides)

Nucleic Acids

Macromolecules that store genetic information and enable protein production, including DNA and RNA

Nucleotides

The building blocks of nucleic acids, composed of a nitrogenous base, a five-carbon sugar, and a phosphate group

DNA

A nucleic acid with a phosphate-deoxyribose sugar backbone and nitrogenous bases A, G, C, and T

RNA

A nucleic acid with ribose sugar and nitrogenous bases A, G, C, and U