Lecture 1 – Introduction to Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms from Lecture 1 on Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry.

Biochemistry

The application of chemistry to the study of biological processes at the cellular and molecular level.

Structural (Functional) Biochemistry

Branch of biochemistry that focuses on the 3-D arrangements and physical structures of biomolecules and how these relate to their function.

Informational Biochemistry

Area that studies how biological information is stored, transmitted, and interpreted within cells and organisms.

Bioenergetics

Field that examines the flow and transformation of energy in living organisms.

Cytosol

The concentrated aqueous solution inside cells containing enzymes, coenzymes, RNA, ions, and metabolites; distinct from membrane-bound organelles.

Prokaryote

Single-celled organism without a membrane-bound nucleus or organelles (e.g., bacteria and archaea).

Eukaryote

Organism whose cells possess a membrane-enclosed nucleus and membrane-bound organelles.

Aerobic Prokaryote

Prokaryotic organism that requires molecular oxygen for growth and metabolism.

Anaerobic Prokaryote

Prokaryotic organism that grows without oxygen, using alternative electron acceptors such as nitrate, sulfate, CO₂, or producing CH₄.

Monomeric Unit

Small molecule (e.g., amino acid, nucleotide, sugar) that serves as a building block for macromolecules.

Macromolecule

Large biomolecule formed by polymerization of monomers; includes proteins, nucleic acids, polysaccharides, and lipids.

Functional Group

Specific group of atoms within a molecule that imparts characteristic physical and chemical properties.

Protein

Macromolecule composed of amino acids; functions as enzymes, structural elements, transporters, and signaling molecules.

Enzyme

Protein (or RNA) catalyst that speeds up biochemical reactions without being consumed.

Nucleic Acid

Polymer of nucleotides that stores (DNA) or transmits (RNA) genetic information.

DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid)

Double-stranded nucleic acid that stores hereditary information in cells.

RNA (Ribonucleic Acid)

Single-stranded nucleic acid involved in gene expression and various cellular functions.

Polysaccharide

Polymer of sugar units used for energy storage (e.g., glycogen, starch) or structural support (e.g., cellulose).

Lipid

Hydrophobic biomolecule that serves as membrane constituent and energy storage molecule.

Dynamic Steady State

Non-equilibrium condition in living systems where concentrations of molecules remain constant due to continuous input and output of matter and energy.

Mutation

Heritable change in DNA sequence that provides raw material for evolution.

Chemical Evolution

Formation of organic compounds from simple inorganic molecules under primitive Earth conditions.

Biological Evolution

Process by which living organisms diversify over time, exemplified by emergence of photosynthetic bacteria and multicellular eukaryotes.

Vitalism

Discredited idea that biological substances and processes do not obey the laws of physics and chemistry.

Friedrich Wöhler’s Synthesis

1828 experiment converting ammonium cyanate (inorganic) into urea, disproving the belief that organic compounds could only arise in living organisms.

Lock-and-Key Model

Emil Fischer’s 1894 proposal that enzyme specificity arises from a precise fit between enzyme (lock) and substrate (key).

Zymase

Yeast enzyme complex that Eduard Buchner (1897) showed could ferment sugars to ethanol and CO₂ outside living cells.

James Sumner’s Urease

1926 demonstration that the enzyme urease is a protein, confirming that enzymes can be isolated and crystallized from living tissue.

Bioenergetic Principle (Energy Conservation)

First law of thermodynamics as applied to biology: energy can be transformed but not created or destroyed within living systems.

Clinical Biochemistry

Application of chemical techniques and instrumentation in medical laboratories for diagnosis and drug development.