Biochemistry I Lecture Notes
Biochemistry Overview
- Biochemistry is at the intersection of chemistry, biology, and medicine.
Core Biological Processes
- Exchange of Matter: Consumption, respiration, and excretion.
- Exchange of Information: Sensing, responding, and adaptation.
- Continuum of Life: Growth, development, reproduction, and inheritance.
Definition of Life
- Life is characterized by biological processes that distinguish physical entities.
- Cells are the smallest unit of life, serving as structural, functional, and biological units.
Cellular Activities
- Selective Isolation
- Chemical Activity
- Genetic Material
- A network of biochemical processes (metabolism) catalyzed enzymatically in a cytoplasmic environment
Homeostasis
- It is a state of equilibrium of internal processes within a system.
Thermodynamics
- The study of energy and its transformations.
Kinetic and Potential Energy
- Kinetic Energy (E_k, J) is the energy of motion related to mass (m, kg) and velocity (v, m/s).
- Potential Energy (K_p, J) is the energy an object possesses by virtue of its position or composition.
- Thermal Energy: Kinetic energy of moving atoms.
- Heat: Measure of exchanged thermal energy; transfer of thermal energy between objects of different temperatures.
- Chemical Energy: Potential energy stored within the arrangement of atoms in a compound; e.g., H2, O2, H_2O.
System and Surroundings
- System: The part of the universe being studied.
- Surroundings: The rest of the universe not part of the system.
Types of Systems
Energy Changes
