BCH210H1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Red Blood Cell, Nicotinamide, Hemoglobin

• School: UTSG
• Department: Biochemistry
• Course: BCH210H1
• Professor: Stavroula Andreopoulos

Document Summary

Complex molecules like proteins are built from simple building blocks like amino acids. Biochemistry allows us to understand the molecular basis of life and disease. The most commonly asked question is why are they red? : the calls contain massive amounts of hemoglobin, hemoglobin is a protein. Is a tetramer consisting of two alpha and two beta polypeptide chains. Contains heme which gives the colour. Globin is a protein which is colourless by natural. A single amino acid change (glu6val) in the beta-chain of haemoglobin causes sickle cell anemia we must learn more about this amino acid. Hb s forms long polymers that change the shape of the red blood cell from a disk to a sickle shape. Polymers of amino acids linked in series by peptide bonds: linear chain/array. Fold into specific 3d structures: linear sequence determines the folding of 3d structure (even a single change) Agents of biological function, often enzymes catalysts.