Foundations of Biochemistry

•Universe is 15-20 billion years old –BIG BANG•Initially H2 was made then condensed to He Stars formed-Stars died, Super novas exploded creating higher atomic number elements. Over the billions of years under the right conditions complex molecules formed. Complicated chemical reactions started occurring - intermolecular interactions and carbon based chemistry developed.

From this milieu sprang the property of

LIFE

Biochemistry is the study of this process on a chemical level

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The Physical Laws of Life

•Living organisms operate within the same physical laws that apply to physics and chemistry:

•Conservation of Mass, Energy•Laws of Thermodynamics•Laws of Chemical Kinetics•Principles of Chemical Reactions

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Molecular Logic of Life

These physical laws describe several axioms that make up the Molecular Logic of Life. These axioms define:

•Energy converted to work•Catalytic chemical transformations•Assembly of molecules with great complexity from simple subunits.•Complex molecules combine to form supra molecular components, organelles and finally assemble into a cell.•Store and pass on instructions for the assembly of all future generations from simple non-living precursors

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Common Functional Groups

•Arise from simple organic compounds

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Condensation reactions•Chemical Evolution, simple molecules condense to form more complex forms (polymers)

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Replication through complementarity• More complex molecules

increases chemical versatility

• Specific pairing of functional groups gives rise to complementarity

• Complementarity makes it possible for macromolecules to replicate

• Over time natural selection favored molecules that made accurate copies of themselves

•Cell multi cell, varied and diverse and evolutionary processes lead to diversity but life has many common themes and processes.

Organic compounds found in living organisms are a product of Biological Activity

Biomolecules are selected by evolution- the fit are kept, the not fit are discarded.

The more fit remain and continue to evolve.

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Biomolecules have the same bonds, bond lengths, strength, 3D structures and chemical reactivities as

inanimate matter!

The vast complexity of the molecules, no matter how they interact, follow the physical laws of nature.

Therefore Physics and Chemistry must be able to completely define life!!!

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From 3D structure to antibody interaction, hormone function to replication and reproduction i.e..

from Birth-Death.

Life is defined within the physical laws of Chemistry and

Physics

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The Essential Role of Water•H2O is the key to understanding the behavior of macromolecules. It is the solvent of life and all living transformations occur in an aqueous media-

Life is thought to arise from the sea.

•Even water-insoluble compounds such as lipid membranes derive their nature and function by their interactions with H2O. •Living organisms are composed of lifeless molecules that conform to the physical laws of nature.

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However, the collective behavior of these many

molecules and their combined interactions, yield extraordinary

properties.

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