SCHOOL OF MATHEMATICAL AND NATURAL SCIENCES

BIOCHEMISTRY DEPARTMENT

Structural & Functional Biochemistry II

BCM 2522
Lecture 1
LECTURER - DR. A. BURGER
 PREREQUISITES:
MODULE & PRACTICALS
BIO1542, CHE1540, CHE1621 & CHE1622
STRUCTURAL AND FUNCTIONAL
BIOCHEMISTRY II - OUTLINE
MODULE CONTENT

1. General Biochemistry
2. Aspects of Carbohydrates
3. Aspects of Proteins
4. Aspects of Lipids
5. Aspects of Nucleic acids
6. Basics of Biochemical Thermodynamics
7. Basics Clinical chemistry
8. Introduction to Enzymology
Studies chemical processes
within and relating to living
organisms
CARBOHYDRATES
Carbohydrates: Introduction
Carbohydrates are polyhydroxy aldehydes or ketones,
or those compounds that can be hydrolyzed to
aldehydes or ketones.
Carbohydrates are technically hydrates of carbon.
The empirical formula is Cn(H2O)n
CARBOHYDRATES

SOURCES OF CARBOHYDRATES

Grain Products
Starchy Vegetables and Beans
Fruits
Beverages
Sweets and added Sugars
CARBOHYDRATES

CLASSIFICATION OF CARBOHYDRATES

Monosaccharides,
Disaccharides,
Trisaccharides,
Oligosaccharides,
Polysaccharides.
CARBOHYDRATES
MONOSACCHARIDES

Molecules having only one actual or potential sugar

group and cannot be hydrolysed further.
Grouped into one of two general classes:
- Aldoses
- Ketoses
General empirical formula is (CH2O)n
CARBOHYDRATES
MONOSACCHARIDES

Sugars having aldehyde group are called aldoses and

sugars with keto group are called ketoses.
Depending on the number of carbon atoms
monosaccharides are named as triose (C3), tetrose
(C4), pentose (C5), hexose (C6), heptose (C7) and so on.
CARBOHYDRATES
MONOSACCHARIDES

Simplest aldose being glyceraldehyde and simplest

ketose being dihydroxyacetone.
CARBOHYDRATES
MONOSACCHARIDES

Stereoisomerism Self study

Fischer Projection
CARBOHYDRATES
FISCHER PROJECTION

This is a two-dimensional representation of a three-

dimensional organic molecule by projection.
The carbon chain is depicted vertically.
The orientation of the carbon chain is so that the C1
carbon is at the top.
CARBOHYDRATES
FISCHER PROJECTION

On a Fischer projection, carbon of

D sugars are depicted with
hydrogen on the left and hydroxyl
on the right.
L sugars will be shown with the
hydrogen on the right and the
hydroxyl on the left
CARBOHYDRATES
FISCHER PROJECTION

All horizontal bonds project

toward the viewer, while
vertical bonds project away
from the viewer. If rotated at
90o or 270o its converted to
its enantiomer.