INTRODUCTION TO BIOCHEMISTRY
AND CELL BIOLOGY
BY
Etumah Sandra
COURSE CONTENT
●Brief Introduction to Biochemistry
● Introduction to Cell Biology
- Importance of the cell,
- Types: Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cells, Essential differences between prokaryotic and
eukaryotic cell.
- Organelles: The structure and function of Nucleus, Mitochondrion, Endoplasmic
Reticulum, Golgi Complexes, Lysosomes, Peroxisomes, etc
●Cell membranes
- Chemical composition of the membranes: Lipids, Proteins and Carbohydrates and their
types.
- Structure (Fluid Mosaic Model)
- Functions
●Transport Mechanisms:
- Passive or simple diffusion, Facillitated diffusion, Active transport;
- uniport systems, co-transport systems-symport and antiport
- Transport of Macromolecules: Exocytosis, Endocytosis (Phagocytosis and Pinocytosis).
DEFINITION AND SCOPE OF BIOCHEMISTRY
Biochemistry is a laboratory science that deals with the study of the
substance called biomelecules, their chemical structures and metabolic
processes which occur in living systems (organisms).
The term “biochemistry” was first introduced by Carl Newberg in 1903,
and since then, outstanding contributions have been made towards the
understanding, growth and development of the promising scientific
discipline.
The scope of biochemistry includes the identification and quantitative
determination of the substances (biomolecules), studies of their structures
(chemistry), determining how these biomolecules are synthesized and
degraded (metabolism) in organisms and elucidating their role in the
operation of the organism. The organisms herein referred, span across
from prokaryotes to eukaryotes.
Some processes of special concern and interest are the conversion of foods
to energy, respiration, the synthesis of nucleic acids and proteins, and the
regulations of the chemical and metabolic activities of cells and organisms.
Relationship between Biochemistry and cell
biology
• Biochemistry describes how these molecules
are made and the interactions between them
at molecular level.
• Cell biology then goes on to describe how the
biochemicals are organised into cells and
cellular components, which then form the
tissues of the body
Introduction to Biomolecules
• living matter is composed of mainly six elements-carbon,
hydrogen, oxygen,nitrogen, phosphorus and sulfur.
• These are known as organic compounds because they
contain carbon
• These elements together constitute about 90% of the
dry weight of the human body.
• Several functionally important elements are also found
in the cells. Ca, K, Na, Cl, Mg, Fe, Cu, Co, l,Zn, F, Mo and
Se.
• Human body is composed of about 60% water,
15% proteins, 15% lipids, 2% carbohydrates and
8% minerals.
• Molecular structures in organisms are built from
30 small precursors, sometimes called the
alphabet of biochemistry.
• These are 20 amino acids, 2 purines, 3
pyrimidines, sugars (glucose and ribose),
palmitate, glycerol and choline
• Organic components: These are carbon-based
molecules that form the building blocks of life.
eg Carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, nucleic acids
and vitamins.
• Inorganic components: These are non-carbon-
based substances that support cellular
structure and biochemical functions.eg Water,
ions, minerals, gases and salts.
INTRODUCTION TO CELL BIOLOGY
Life can be found in basically 5 kingdoms
-Monera (bacteria and Archea), Protista, Fungae, Plantae and
Animalia. (1 nm = 10^-9 meters/ 1 µm = 10^-6 meters)
WHAT IS A CELL?
• A cell is the basic, structural and functional unit of an
organism or a cell is the basic unit of life.
• A cell is able to perform essential vital functions such as
metabolism, growth, movement and hereditary
transmission.
Cell Theory
All organisms are composed of cells
All cells come only from preexisting cells (Rudolf
Virchow)
Cells are the smallest structural and functional unit of
organisms
Cells carry genetic information in the form of DNA
ORGANIZATION AND STRUCTURE OF CELLS
• There are basically two (2) types of cell structure
based on their organization.
• This organization has to do with
compartmentalization of organelles and presence
of a true nucleus.
• The two forms are the prokaryotes and
eukaryotes.
THE PROKARTOTIC CELL
• Prokaryotes (bacteria and blue-green algae) are the most
abundant organisms on earth and earliest as they exist
for more than 2 billion years.
• A prokaryotic cell does not contain a membrane-bound
nucleus.
• Hence their name 'pro' meaning 'before' and 'karyotes'
meaning 'nucleus’.
• They are divided into two groups, the eubacteria and the
archaebacteria which are two of the major kingdoms into
which organisms are classified .
• while both Eubacteria and Archaebacteria are
prokaryotes, they differ in their cell wall composition,
habitats, and metabolic processes.
THE STRUCTURE OF THE PROKARTOTIC CELL
• Each prokaryotic cell is surrounded by a plasma membrane.
The cell has no subcellular organelles, only in foldings of the
plasma membrane called mesosomes.
• The deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is condensed within the
cytosol to form the nucleoid. Some prokaryotes have tail-like
flagella.
BACTERIAL CELL WALL
• The peptidoglycan (protein and oligosaccharide ) cell wall
protects the prokaryotic cell from mechanical and osmotic
pressure.
• A Gram-positive bacterium has a thick cell wall surrounding
the plasma membrane, whereas Gram-negative bacteria have
a thinner cell wall.
THE EUKARYOTIC CELL
• The other four kingdoms are made up of organisms with eukaryotic cells
• Eukaryotic, Eu meaning true and Karyon Nucleus, these evolved from
prokaryotes and are recent cells, they are found in bodies of plants, animals,
fungi and some protist.
• The Protista contains both unicellular and multicellular organisms and it is
thought that the organisms in the other three kingdoms evolved from ancient
protists.
• The most important feature of this type of cell is presence of membrane bound
organelles.
• These cells nucleus and other internal structures allow compartmentation of
chemical processes within a single cell
• The Eukaryotic cell will be represented by the Animal and Plant cells
Eukaryotic Animal Cell
Eukaryotic Plant Cell
http://minhalogia.blogspot.com/2013_03_ 1
01_archive.html
Eukaryotic Cells Prokaryotic Cells
“complex” organisms, including all “Simple” organisms, including
plants, protists, fungi and animals bacteria and cyanobacteria
Contain nucleus and membrane Lack nucleus and other
bound membrane-encased
organelles organelles. Single
Several chromosome chromosome (DNA + non-
histone protein)
Can specialize for certain functions, Usually exist as single,
multicellular organs and organisms virtually
identical cells
Cellular respiration occur in Cellular respiration occur in
mitochondria mesosome (extended
membrane)
Ribosome: 40s, 60S Ribosome: 30S, 50S
Photosynthesis occur in chloroplast Photosynthesis occur in
chlorophyll located region
Viruses
• Viruses Although viruses are not cells and as such are not
strictly living organisms
• They are dependent on the host’s cells to reproduce, i.e.
they are parasites.
• However, as with bacteria, differences in chemical
processes used by viruses can be exploited to produce
antiviral drugs.
• Cells and viruses exist on different scales.
• Viruses are very small (60–80 nm), which is smaller than
some of the intracellular components of eukaryotic cells.
• Most bacteria are between 1 µm and 10 µm and many
eukaryotic cells are 10–100 mm.
