What is the Biological Protoplasm?
Introduction
Carbohydrates, lipids, nucleic acids. The study of biological molecules and their processing Biological molecules are present in living organisms such as proteins, and significance for living organisms is called Biochemistry.
The knowledge of Biochemistry is important in many ways, for example, to understand the workings of biological systems, development in agriculture, pharmaceutical industries, and food industries, and more importantly for the expansion of the field of genetics and biotechnology.
2.1 Biological Molecules in Protoplasm
All the matter of universe contains more than 100 elements although living organisms are composed of 25 elements, yet only 16 of these are essential for life. The six most common elements in all living organisms are hydrogen, carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, and phosphorous.
They account for about 99% of total ma organisms. The biological importance of hydrogen oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon is largely due to their valencies having one, two, three, and four respectively, and their ability to form more stable covalent bonds than any other element with the same valencies.
In biochemistry, trace elements are dietary elements that are needed in a very minute quantity for proper growth, and development functioning of the organism. Examples of trace elements are:
Copper, Boron, Chromium, Iodine, Zinc, Iron, Manganese, Cobalt, Fluorine, Silicon, Vanadium, Molybdenum, Tin and Selenium.
Macro-organic molecules:
There are four types of macro organic molecules in living things. These are proteins and nucleic acids. Proteins are the most hydrates, lipids, and organic compounds in protoplasm. The basic units of proteins are amino acids. Proteins are present in different forms like enzymes, hormones, antibodies, etc.
These are building materials of life. Carbohydrates are composed of C, H, and O and
provide fuel for the metabolic activities of the cell, also store reserve food in the cell.
Lipids are heterogeneous groups of hydrophobic compounds, which act as reserved food and building materials for cellular organelles.
Nucleic acids (DNA and RNA) are the most essential organic compounds, for living organisms, their basic unit is a nucleotide. DNA acts as hereditary material, while RNAS synthesizes proteins under the instruction of DNA.
Main Metabolic Reactions in a Cell:
Condensation:
Specific small molecules when joined together form large-molecule polymers. This process is called condensation, in which water is produced, while energy is used. During condensation, when two monomers join, an OH is removed from one monomer and H' is removed from the other. The condensation is also called dehydration synthesis.
Hydrolysis:
Usually means the breakdown of polymer into monomers. In this process water is used, and one monomer gets H and other OH ions with the help of enzymes. When a bond is broken, energy is released. This process is also known as hydration.
2.2 Biological Importance of Water
Water is the most abundant of protoplasm, without it, life can not exist. It is important for different reasons; Such as a vital chemical constituent of living cells and secondly, it provides an environment for those organisms that live in water. The bodies of living organisms contain about 70-90% of water. Water has the following important properties.
High Polarity:
Water is a polar molecule because its hydrogen contains a slightly positive charge and oxygen contains a slightly negative charge. A polar covalent bond is formed between hydrogen and oxygen atoms of water.
Due to this polar covalent bond water is called a polar molecule and thus it is a universal solvent for polar substances, ionic compounds, or electrolytes. The non-polar molecules. having charged groups on their molecules can also be dissolved in water like sugar.
Hydrogen Bonding:
A hydrogen bond is an electrostatic attraction between two polar groups that occurs when a hydrogen atom covalently bonds to a highly electronegative atom such as oxygen, nitrogen, or fluorine.
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