List of basic biochemistry topics

For a more comprehensive list, see the List of biochemistry topics.

Biochemistry is the study of the chemical processes and transformations in living organisms, including the structure and function of cellular components, such as proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, nucleic acids, and other biomolecules. Basic topics in biochemistry include:

Nature of biochemistry

Biochemistry is the science deals with chemical composition and its reactions, happening in the living cells of organisms, such as mammals, vertebrates, plants and all living organisms.

Main article: Biochemistry

History of biochemistry

Main article: History of biochemistry

Basic biochemistry concepts

• Major categories of bio-compounds:
  • Carbohydrates : sugar -- disaccharide -- polysaccharide -- starch -- glycogen
  • Lipids : fatty acid -- fats -- essential oils -- oils -- waxes -- cholesterol
  • Nucleic acids : DNA -- RNA -- mRNA -- tRNA -- rRNA -- codon -- adenosine -- cytosine -- guanine -- thymine -- uracil
  • Proteins :
    • amino acid -- glycine -- arginine -- lysine
    • peptide -- primary structure -- secondary structure -- tertiary structure -- conformation -- protein folding
• Chemical properties:
  • molecular bond -- covalent bond -- ionic bond -- hydrogen bond -- ester -- ethyl
  • molecular charge -- hydrophilic -- hydrophobic -- polar
  • pH -- acid -- alkaline -- base
  • oxidation -- reduction -- hydrolysis
• Structural compounds:
  • In cells: flagellin -- peptidoglycan -- myelin -- actin -- myosin
  • In animals: chitin -- keratin -- collagen -- silk
  • In plants: cellulose -- lignin -- cell wall
• Enzymes and enzyme activity:
  • enzyme kinetics -- enzyme inhibition
  • proteolysis -- ubiquitin -- proteasome
  • kinase -- dehydrogenase
• Membranes : fluid mosaic model -- diffusion -- osmosis
  • phospholipids -- glycolipid -- glycocalyx -- antigen -- isoprene
  • ion channel -- proton pump -- electron transport -- ion gradient -- antiporter -- symporter -- quinone -- riboflavin
• Energy pathways :
  • pigments : chlorophyll -- carotenoids -- xanthophyll -- cytochrome -- phycobilin -- bacteriorhodopsin -- hemoglobin -- myoglobin -- absorption spectrum -- action spectrum -- fluorescence
  • Photosynthesis : light reaction -- dark reaction
  • Fermentation : Acetyl-CoA -- lactic acid
  • Cellular respiration : Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) -- NADH -- pyruvate -- oxalate -- citrate
  • Chemosynthesis
• Regulation
  • hormones : auxin
  • signal transduction -- growth factor -- transcription factor -- protein kinase -- SH3 domain
  • Malfunctions : tumor -- oncogene -- tumor suppressor gene
  • Receptors : Integrin -- transmembrane receptor -- ion channel
• Techniques : electrophoresis -- chromatography -- mass spectrometry -- x-ray diffraction -- Southern blot -- fractionation -- Gram stain

Biochemistry lists

Main article: List of biochemistry topics