Biochem Lecture 1

The

Origin of Life

Simple inorganic molecules combined to form more

complex molecules through a process of chemical evolution. Major stages

include:

Prebiotic era (more than 3.5 billion years ago),

inorganic material, organic material (carbon containing), amino acids,

proteins, biomolecules> microfossils of filamentous bacterial cells

Transition from randomly generated molecules to

systematic and organized replication of molecules (complementarity)

Common functional groups and linkages: table 1-2

(Separate sheet of paper/flashcards)

Cellular Architecture

Compartmentation:

Enclosed chemical system in a compartmentalized,

high concentration reacts more readily and is more energetically efficient.

Prokaryotes vs Eukaryotes

Eukaryotes= membrane enclosed nucleus containing

DNA, multicellular and unicellular, organelles

Organelles: ER (site of synthesis), Golgi

apparatus (modification), mitochondria (aerobic metabolism), chloroplasts

(photosynthetic organisms), lysosomes, peroxisomes, vacuoles in plant cells,

cytosol and cytoskeleton

Prokaryotes: no nucleus, mostly unicellular

bacteria, more simplistic and small/energetically efficient than eukaryotes,

grows rapidly, can withstand extreme temperatures/environments

Content of the notes (1)