This document provides an introduction to biochemistry. It defines chemistry, matter, atoms, and biochemistry as the science concerned with the chemical constituents of living cells. The aim of biochemistry is to understand all chemical processes of living organisms in health and disease. The scope of biochemistry includes all life forms from viruses to humans, and its tools like genetic engineering have applications in medicine, agriculture, and more. Medical biochemistry deals with health and disease at the chemical level. The document also discusses carbohydrates, monosaccharides, vitamin A, beta-carotene, and their roles and functions in the body.

1. UNIT-1
Introduction of Biochemistry
By
Jaspreet Kaur

7. Chemistry: Chemistry is the study of material substances and
the changes they undergo. All of these materials are comprised
of matter.
Matter: It can be defined as anything that occupies space and
has mass.
*It is composed of extremely small particles known as Atoms.
Biochemistry: It can also be described as the science
concerned with the chemical constituents of living cells, the
reactions and processes they undergo.
By this definition, biochemistry encompasses large areas of cell
biology, of molecular biology, and of molecular genetics.

8. Aim of biochemistry
All chemical processes of living
organisms and their interactions with
their environments both in health and
disease conditions.

9. Scope of Biochemistry
 Concerned with the entire spectrum of life forms, from relatively
simple viruses and bacteria to complex human being.
 All organisms are remarkably alike at the cellular and chemical
levels.
 Biochemistry is the language of biology. The tools for research in
all the branches of medical science
 Genetic Engineering (DNA technology/recombinant DNA
techniques), a branch of biochemistry, is the most advanced and
sophisticated tool of biotechnology.
Genetic engineering has applications in the fields of medicine,
agriculture, animal farming, ecology, paleontology, etc.

10. Medical Biochemistry
Medical biochemistry deals with the chemical aspects
of both health and diseases of human beings.
All diseases are manifestations of abnormalities of
molecules, chemical reactions, or processes.
A knowledge of biochemistry is essential to the
understanding of all branches of medical science,
especially, physiology, immunology, pharmacology,
pharmacy, toxicology, pathology, general medicine,
psychiatry, etc.

11. Carbohydrate
 Carbohydrates are defined as poly hydroxy alcohols and
aldehydes or ketones and their derivatives.
 Carbohydrates are widely distributed in animals and plants.
 In plants it produced by the process of photosynthesis.
 In animal cells, carbohydrate present in form of glucose and
glycogen and utilized to give energy for vital activities.
 Some carbohydrates performs specific functions. For eg: ribose
in nucleoproteins of the cell etc.

12. Carbohydrate
Monosacccharides
*Trioses
*Tetroses
*Pentoses
*Hexoses
*Heptoses
Disaccharides
Oligosaccharides
Polysaccharides
*Homopolysaccharides
*Hetropolysaccharides

13. Monosaccharides:
These are the simple sugars which can not be hydrolyzed into a
simpler form.
The general formula of monosaccharides is Cn H2n On
D-Glyceraldehyde

15. Asymmetric carbon atom:
A carbon atom which attached with four different groups.
H
І
CH3 – C ̶ COOH
І
NH2
Isomerism:
the compounds which have the same structural formula but
Different in spatial configuration are called stereoisomers or
Geometric isomers.

29. Vitamin A and Beta-
Carotene
• Roles in the Body
• Vitamin A in Vision
• Helps to maintain the cornea
• Conversion of light energy into nerve impulses at the retina
• Rhodopsin is a light-sensitive pigment of the retina that
contains a protein called opsin.

31. • Roles in the Body
• Vitamin A in Protein Synthesis and Cell Differentiation
• Through cell differentiation, vitamin A allows cells to perform
specific functions.
• Epithelial cells
• Epithelial tissues on the outside of the body form the skin.
• Epithelial tissues on the inside of the body form the mucous
membranes.

32. Vitamin A maintains
healthy cells in the
mucous membranes.
Without vitamin A, the
normal structure and
function of the cells in
the mucous membranes
are impaired.
Mucus Goblet cells

33. • Roles in the Body
• Vitamin A in Reproduction and Growth
• Sperm development in men
• Normal fetal development in women
• Growth in children
• Remodeling of the bone involves osteclasts, osteoblasts, and
lysosomes.
• Osteoclasts are cells that destroy bone growth.
• Osteoblasts are cells that build bones.
• Lysosomes are sacs of degradative enzymes that destroy bones.

34. Functions
• Vision (night, day, colour)
• Epithelial cell integrity against infections
• Immune response
• Haemopoiesis
• Skeletal growth
• Fertility (male and female)
• Embryogenesis