Biochemistry Helping Zone

csir net life science solutions(june 2011)

2012-01-18T17:24:00.000-08:00

csir net life science solutions(june 2011)

Microbiology ebook for free download

2009-11-29T05:59:00.001-08:00

Microbiology is the study microorganisms and their survival. this ebook is prepared for student student study material. This ebook is designed for who studying B.S.c & M.Sc. students (According to Andhra University syllabus). just download and learn more.

DOWNLOAD

Microbiology ebook for free download

2009-11-29T05:59:00.000-08:00

ORIGIN OF LIFE

2009-09-24T17:27:00.001-07:00

Our planet earth is inhabited by an enormous variety of living organisms. The plants and animals show remarkable biodiversity. The diversities mostly appear as adaptations for diverse habitats and living methods adopted. This vastness has always made people wonder about the origin of life and diversity. To a certain extent Charles Darwin’s natural selection concept provides an explanation towards an understanding of evolution of various kinds of life forms. However the theory of origin of life is still a matter of speculation. Several intelligent explanations had been provided to account for the origin of life on earth.

Please click the link to get the article as in ebook

DOWNLOAD

INTRODUCTION - Scope of Biochemistry

2009-09-24T17:21:00.001-07:00

Biochemistry is a branch of life science which deals with the study of chemical reactions that occur in living cells and organisms. Life is a chemical process involving thousands of different reactions occurring in an organised manner. These are called metabolic reactions. The term Biochemistry was first introduced by the German Chemist Carl Neuberg in 1903.

It takes into account the studies related to the nature of the chemical constituents of living matter, their transformations in biological systems and the energy changes associated with these transformations.

Biochemistry may thus be treated as a discipline in which biological phenomena are analyzed in terms of chemistry.

The branch of Biochemistry for the same reason, has been variously named as Biological Chemistry or Chemical Biology.

Modern Biochemistry has two branches, descriptive Biochemistry and dynamic Biochemistry.

Descriptive Biochemistry deals with the qualitative and quantitative characterization of the various cell components and the dynamic Biochemistry deals with the elucidation of the nature and the mechanism of the reactions involving these cell components. Many newer disciplines have been emerged from Biochemistry such of Enzymology (study of enzymes), Endocrinology (study of hormones) Clinical Biochemistry (study of diseases), Molecular Biochemistry (Study of Biomolecules and their functions). Along with these branches certain other specialities have also come up such as Agricultural Biochemistry, Pharmacological Biochemistry etc.

Those who acquire a sound knowledge of Biochemistry can tackle the 2 central concerns of the biomedical sciences

(1) the understanding and maintenance of health

(2) the understanding and treatment of diseases.

Objectives of Biochemistry

The major objective of Biochemistry is the complete understanding of all the chemical processes associated with living cells at the molecular level. To achieve this objective, biochemists have attempted to isolate numerous molecules (Bio molecules) found in cells, to determine their structures and to analyze how they function. Biochemical studies have illuminated many aspects of disease and the study of certain diseases have opened up new therapeutic approaches. In brief the objectives can be listed as follows:

1. Isolation, structural elucidation and the determination of mode of action of biomolecules.
2. Identification of disease mechanisms.
3. Study of in born errors of metabolism
4. Study of oncogenes in cancer cells
5. The relationship of biochemistry with genetics, physiology, immunology, pharmacology, toxicology etc.

Biochemistry is related to almost all the life sciences and without biochemistry background and knowledge, a thorough understanding of health and well-being is not possible.

You can download the article, just click the below link

DOWNLOAD

What is Metabolism?

2009-09-24T17:13:00.001-07:00

According to Wikipedia Metabolism described as

“Metabolism is the set of chemical reactions that occur in living organisms to maintain life. These processes allow organisms to grow and reproduce, maintain their structures, and respond to their environments. Metabolism is usually divided into two categories. Catabolism breaks down organic matter, for example to harvest energy in cellular respiration. Anabolism, on the other hand, uses energy to construct components of cells such as proteins and nucleic acids”.

I am Providing basic link, which are useful for all,

just Download your self

Carbohydrate Metabolism

DOWNLOAD

Metabolic Tips

DOWNLOAD

Get to Grips With Biochemistry

2009-09-24T17:02:00.001-07:00

If you talk to the students in the years ahead of you in college most of them will tell you that biochemistry is a difficult subject. It's not!

Biochemistry studies the chemical reactions that occur in cells. Life, at the molecular level (and therefore biochemistry and molecular biology), is about forming chemical bonds. The things that living organisms do, such as grow and make "machines" which allow them to move, generate electrical impulses and perform other functions, all have one thing in common at the molecular level.

They all involved atoms and/or small molecules being joined together by chemical bonds. When a house is being built bricks are "joined" together with cement. When structural components of cells and cell "machines" are being built the molecules that make up these structures are "joined" together by chemical bonds.

So, much of biochemistry involves studying the processes of forming chemical bonds between the molecules that make up the cells. For example, amino acid molecules are joined together by chemical bonds to make proteins which are the most important structural components of cells.

Nucleotide molecules are joined together by chemical bonds to form DNA which is the stuff that the genes are made of.

In order to form chemical bonds energy is required. In this book we will look at the biochemistry of where this energy comes from. Now, it does not take a genius to work out that if it takes energy to form a chemical bond then a potentially good source of this energy is to break a different chemical bond.

This is exactly how cells get the energy they need to form the chemical bonds between amino acids to form proteins, between nucleotides to form DNA and so on. The chemical bonds in certain molecules are sacrificed and the energy released when these bonds are broken is used to form other chemical bonds.

So, why does biochemistry seem so difficult? Unfortunately, the processes of forming or breaking chemical bonds usually occurs in a series of steps rather than in one single step. Furthermore, many of these reaction pathways are interlinked with each other. This all makes it difficult to break the subject of biochemistry down into discreet, individual sections that are easy to study and learn.

Even when you do break the metabolic pathways down into manageable sizes you never get a full understanding of what is going on until you can see how the different pathways interact with each other. It is a bit like a jigsaw. You can only deal with one piece at a time but each piece in isolation does not make much of a picture. Unfortunately, there does not seem to be an easy answer to this problem. Please, just carry on studying all the different pathways and structures individually.

Don't get discouraged when you find it difficult to see the overall picture. When you have studied all the pieces (and there are not that many of them really!) you will eventually find that you will be able to fit them together to form the great picture that is the closest thing we have to understanding the meaning of life.

Whenever you get really confused as you plough through those enormous biochemistry textbooks or lost as you try and keep up with your biochemistry lectures ask yourself "What chemical bond is being formed or broken"? and you will find it much easier to follow what is going on.

I wish you an interesting time in your journey to understand what is known about how life works and of course good fortune in the exams you must pass to allow you to go on and pursue whatever career path you have set out on.

DOWNLOAD the review e-books

How to Study Biochemistry

2009-09-24T16:51:00.001-07:00

Biochemistry is a notorious course for demanding a high-volume of information in a short amount of time. However, there are studying methods to assist students in learning efficiently and effectively. I have studied and interviewed groups of medical and science students that have mastered their course work. It is true that there are specific and detailed guidelines that these students adhere to and credit for their academic success. The successful student must excel in visualizing relationships, memorizing facts, and reciting complex metabolic reactions of the human body. With some time and applying these strategies and tips from past honor students of Biochemistry, you will greatly improve your academic performance.

Study Skill #1 - Do NOT procrastinate. The most obvious, and yet least followed advice by students. Biochemistry is a high-volume course that progresses and builds its concepts on the fundamentals. Moreover, many pathways and reactions require memorization and must be acquired over time. The last thing you want to do is cram for this course.

Study Skill #2 - Know the terminology and nomenclature, it will make things much easier down the road. An enzyme or protein will often have its function built into its name. Take Protein Kinase A for example. As a member of the Kinases, it will almost always add a phosphate group to its substrate. Or, take Alcohol Dehydrogenase, structures that are Dehydrogenases always oxidize a substrate. In this case, it oxidizes alcohols into aldehydes and ketones. Once you get this down, you will begin to recognize names and automatically correlate them with a specific function.

Study Skill #3 - Start with the big picture. There is no doubt that you will have to memorize multi-step metabolic pathways. The best way to do this is to start with the easy steps and understand the overall flow of the reaction. First, write only the substrates and products in order. Do this repeatedly, until it is memorized. Then add the enzymes. Then continue to add co-factors and by-products. If necessary, label each as an exer- or endergonic reaction. Use the nomenclature to help you remember what is going on in each step. For example, Phosphofructokinase-1 - adds a phosphate group (phospho-kinase) to the molecule fructose (-fructo-) at the first position (-1). By breaking down the pathways and focusing on the terminology it will greatly speed up your ability to memorize them.

Study Skill #4 - Buy a dry erase board. Use this to memorize the pathways and any other reactions you have to know. There are no short-cuts, but writing things out reinforces them in your memory. It tends to be much more efficient than staring and reciting from your textbook.

Study Skill #5 - Know the purpose of a reaction. Take the Bohr Effect for example. An increase in [H⁺] (decrease in pH), CO₂, temperature, and 2,3-BPG all occur in active skeletal muscle. They also all encourage O₂ release from hemoglobin. This makes sense if you think that working muscle is metabolic tissue and needs oxygen to survive. Incorporating the larger concept will also allow you to predict the flow of reactions in other situations throughout the body.

Study Skill #6 - Stare at the graphs and plots. These questions are virtually freebies on exams because all the information you need to solve them is included. Know what the x- and y-intercept, the slope, and the area under the graph represent. Know what makes the graphed line move to the right or left. You will absolutely be asked about the Michaelis-Menten graph and the Hemoglobin dissociation curve - these are staples of biochemistry.

Study Skill #7 - Seek to understand first, and then memorize. Like many other courses, biochemistry can be overwhelming at first. There is no easy way to memorize every amino acid or metabolic reaction. But students always claim that if they take the time to first get the concept down, the memorizing is not as difficult as it once seemed. Stay focused, break it down into small steps, and practice.