Dr. Shivaveerakumar S.

1. BIOCHEMISTRY
Chemistry in action.
Human activities require energy.
The inter conversion of different forms
of energy requires large biochemical
device comprising many thousands of
atoms. Yet, the functions of these depend
on simple chemical processes
Nobel prize winners
Peter Agre and Carol Greider,
who used
biochemical techniques
to study the
Structure and functions
of proteins
Journey of biochemistry
Understanding of biochemistry
starts with one of the most early
discoveries of the past century, that
is the great unity of several living
things at the biochemical level

2. BIOCHEMISTRY
• Chemistry of life
• It is usually easy to decide whether or not something is alive,
which is because living things share many common attributes
• Chemistry- study of a chemical molecule containing an element
with an atom
• Biology-Study of living beings: the structure, interactions and
functions of cells, tissues, organs and organisms
• Biochemistry bridge gap between biology and chemistry
• Chemistry exhibiting life and its activities is biochemistry
• Life at its most basic level is biochemistry
• Living things are composed of inanimate molecules made up of
chemicals

3. • To study the biochemistry, understanding of certain basic
components / aspects of chemistry is essential
• ELEMENT – Any of the primary parts or constituents of a thing
or material. They are made up of atoms which are alike in their
electronic configuration
• Elements are substances consisting of one type of atom
Example: iron, copper, silver, gold, oxygen, hydrogen
• ATOM –The smallest particle of an element with all the
properties of that element
• Atom consist of a positively charged nucleus (made up of
protons and neutrons) negatively charged electrons ,which move
in orbits around the nucleus

4. • An atom consist of a minute positively charged
body , located at its centre called nucleus
• Nucleus contains protons and neutrons
• Atom is electrically neutral and contain equal number of protons and
electrons
• The nucleus is surrounded by a suitable number of electrons revolving
around it to balance the positive charge on the nucleus

5. • Most of the space between the nucleus and the revolving
electrons in an atom is empty
• The electrons are revolving round the nucleus at its extremely
high speeds at great distances from the nucleus
• The centrifugal force arising from this motion balances the
force of attraction referred as electrostatic force
• The electrons therefore, do not fall into the nucleus

6. ELECTRON :
• Negatively charged particle
• Charge on the electron is the smallest charge of electricity
• Charge on electron is UNIT NEGATIVE CHARGE
PROTON :
• Positively charged particle
• Charge is equal and opposite to that of electron.
• Charge on proton is UNIT POSITIVE CHARGE
NEUTRON :
• Neutral particle
• Carries no charge

7. • MOLECULE - A small mass of material ; the smallest amount of
a substance which can exist alone ; an aggregation of atoms ,
specifically a chemical combination of two or more atoms
forming a specific chemical substance.
• MACROMOLECULE – Molecule which is large in size or shape.
• MICRO MOLECULE – Molecule which is
small in size or shape.
• BIOMOLECULE – Molecule obtained or
present in a living system and operates the
function of the same .

8. ELEMENTS OF LIFE
• C, H, O, N - 96%
• P, S, Ca, K, Na, Cl, Mg – Almost 4%
• TRACE ELEMENTS - < 0.01% : Fe, I, Cu
CARBON IS BACK BONE OF LIFE
It is used as the building block in every organic molecule
and therefore is the backbone of life.
ORGANIC = carbon-based molecules
Examples: C6H12O6, CH4
INORGANIC = molecules without carbon–carbon
or carbon–hydrogen bonds
Examples: NaCl, NH4, H2SO4

9. MAJOR ELEMENTS OF LIFE
The main elements that
compose living things are:
Carbon
Hydrogen
Oxygen
Nitrogen
Phosphorus
Sulfur

10. MODELS OF THE SIX ELEMENTS THAT ARE
PREDOMINANT IN LIVING THINGS

11. ATOMIC MODEL OF A CARBON ATOM

12. PERIODIC TABLE
A table in which elements are arranged in the order of increasing
atomic number in the manner that the elements with similar
properties fall in the same vertical column
ATOMIC NUMEBR
Number of protons of an element
ATOMIC MASS
Number of nucleons (Both number of protons and neutrons of an
element
PROTONS ARE EQUAL TO THE NUMBER OF ELECTRONS
NEUTRONS ALWAYS NEED NOT BE EQUAL TO THE NUMER OF PROTONS