Microbial Biochemistry Complete Biochemistry Comprehensive Notes on Microbial Biochemistry (copy)

Organic Compounds

Molecules that contain carbon-to-carbon bonds and are produced by living organisms.

Types of Organic Compounds

Carbohydrates, Lipids, Proteins, Nucleic acids.

Versatility of Carbon

Carbon can share electrons in four covalent bonds, creating diverse carbon skeletons.

Methane (CH₄)

A simple organic compound with one carbon atom bonded to four hydrogen atoms, abundant in natural gas.

Functional Groups

Specific groups of atoms involved in chemical reactions that confer unique properties to organic compounds.

Hydroxyl Group (-OH)

A functional group found in Alcohols and Monosaccharides.

Carboxyl Group (-COOH)

A functional group found in Amino acids, Proteins, and Fatty acids.

Amino Group (-NH₂)

A functional group found in Amino acids and Proteins.

Disaccharides

Double sugars formed from two monosaccharides through a dehydration reaction.

Polysaccharides

Complex carbohydrates made of long chains of sugar monomers, including Starch, Glycogen, and Cellulose.

Triglycerides

Fats consisting of one glycerol and three fatty acids formed by ester bonds.

Enzymes

Proteins that act as catalysts to speed up chemical reactions without being consumed.

Peptide Bonds

Bonds linking amino acids together in a polypeptide chain, formed by dehydration synthesis.

Primary Protein Structure

The unique sequence of amino acids in a polypeptide chain.

Secondary Protein Structure

Local folding into alpha-helices or beta-pleated sheets, maintained by hydrogen bonds.

DNA Structure

A double-stranded molecule forming a double helix, with strands held together by hydrogen bonds.

Nucleotides

Monomers of nucleic acids made up of a five-carbon sugar, a phosphate group, and a nitrogen-containing base.

Differences between DNA and RNA

DNA contains deoxyribose sugar, has thymine, and is double-stranded; RNA contains ribose, has uracil, and is usually single-stranded.

Hydrolysis

The process of breaking down macromolecules by adding water to make monomers available.