bbc-molecular design of life-biokimia
DESCRIPTION
bbcTRANSCRIPT
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- What is Life ?
Overwhelming diversity of the living world
Life has been viewed as an intangible property that defies simple explanation
Described in operational term: Movement, Reproduction, Adaptation, Responsiveness to external stimuli
Despite the rich diversity of living organisms, from the blue whale to the smallest of microorganisms, all obey the same chemical and physical laws that rule the universe.
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Visualization of
PhagocytosisMoving Amoeba*
- Life is complex and dynamic
All organisms are primarily composed of organic (carbon-based) molecules that have three dimensional shapes
Their methods for sustaining biological processes are similar
Living processes (growth and development) involve thousands of chemical reactions.
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Visualization of
3D Molecular structure*
- Life is organized and self sustaining
Living organisms are hierarchically organized systems (each level is based on the one below)
The molecules that make up living organisms, referred to as Biomolecules
In multicellular organisms levels of organization: tissues, organs and organ systems
At each level of organization the whole is greater than the sum of the parts
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- Life is organized and self sustaining
Emergent properties (Hemoglobin)
Continuous acquisition of both energy and matter and removal waste molecules.
These tasks are accomplished by hundreds of biochemical reactions that are catalyzed by enzymes
The sum total of all reactions in a living organism is referred to as Metabolism
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- Life is cellular
Cells differ widely in structure and function
Each is surrounded by a membrane that controls the transport of some chemical substances into and out of the cell.
The membrane mediates the response of the cell to components of the extracellular environtment.
Cells arise only from the division of existing cells.
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- Life is information-based
Organization requires information
Living organisms can be considered to be information-processing systems
Interacting molecules within cells, between cells and generation of future cells
Genetic information specifies the linear sequence of amino acids in proteins and how and when those proteins are synthesized
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- Most living organisms are single cells,others are
multicellular,which perform specialized functions and are linked by
intricate systems of communication.Whole organisms has been
generated by cell divisions from a single cell.Single cell is the
vehicle for the hereditary information that defines the species.All
cells store their hereditary information in the same linear
chemical code (DNA)
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- DNA is made from simple subunits nucleotides,each consists of
two parts *sugar (deoxyribose) with a phosphate group attached.*
base which maybe either adenine (A),guanine (G),cytosine (C),or
thymine (T).
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- Life adapts and evolves
All life on earth has a common origin, with new forms arising from other forms
DNA mutations can be repaired or have no effect on the functioning of the organism
On rare occasions mutations may contribute to an increased ability of the organism to survive, to adapt to new circumstances and to reproduce
The interplay of environtmental change and genetic variation can lead to favorable traits and different forms of life.
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- Form and Function
Life is based on morphological units known as cells (1838)
Two major classifications of cells:
the Eukaryotes( plants,fungi,animals) and Prokaryotes (bacteria)
Eukaryotes keep their DNA in nucleus and prokaryotes have no distinct nucleus to keep their DNA.
Prokaryotes have relatively simple structures and unicellular (they may form colonies)
Viruses, are not classified as living because they lack the metabolic apparatus to reproduced outside their host cells
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- The tree of life has three primary branches : Bacteria, Archaea
( procaryotes) and Eucaryotes.
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- Form and Function
Prokaryotes are the most numerous and widespread organism on Earth
Highly adaptable metabolism suit them to an enormous variety of habitats
Certain types of bacteria may thrive in or even require conditions that are hostile to eukaryotes (chemical environments, high temperature and lack of oxygen)
Rapid reproductive rate and ability of many bacteria to form spores
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- Form and Function
Prokaryotes have relatively simple anatomies (cell membrane, cell wall, capsule, cytoplasm chromosome, RNA enzymes and ribosomes)
Prokaryotes employ a wide variety of metabolic energy sources (autotrophs, chemolithotrophs, photoautotrophs, heterotrophs, obligate aerobes and obligate anaerobes, organotrophs)
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- Prokaryotic classification
Taxonomy are inaplicable to prokaryotes because the relatively simple structures provide little indication of their phylogenetic relationships
Based on cell wall properties: 3 major types: Mycoplasma, Gram-positive bacteria and Gram-negative bacteria
Mycoplasmas are the smallest of all living cells and possess ~20% of the DNA of an E.coli
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- In general are bigger and more elaborate than prokarryotic
cells. Eukaryotes cellular architecture
Structural complexity allows sophisticated regulation of living processes
They have internal membrane-enclosed organelles.
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Structure of cells
Plasma Membrane
Endoplasmic Retikulum
Golgi Apparatus
Lysosome
Mitochondrion
Cytoplasm
Nucleus membrane
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- Eukaryotic phylogeny and differentiation
One of the most remarkable characteristics of eukaryotes is their enormous morphologial diversity, on both the cellular and organismal levels (an amoeba, an oak tree and a human being)
Taxonometric schemes based on gross morphology as well as on protein and nucleic acid sequences: three kingdoms (Fungi, Plantae, Animalia, Protista)
Anatomical comparisons among living and fossil organisms indicate that the various kingdoms of multicellular organisms independently evolved from Protista
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- Eucaryotes originated as predators, suggested by :
Eucaryotic cells keep their DNA in nucleus,their cells are typically 10 times bigger and 1000 times larger in volume than procaryotes.
cytoskeleton together with many proteins that attach to them for movement,elaborate intracellular compartments for digestion and secretion.
Capacity to engulf other cells (phagocytosis)-- protozoa.
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Metabolism that depends on the oxidation of organic molecules by mitochondria.
Eucaryotic cells evolved from symbiosis.Aerobic eubacteria were engulfed by anaerobic eubacteria.
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- We cannot hope to determine exactly how life aroseThe
development of life occupied three stages:
Chemical evolution
The self organization
Biological evolution
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- The unique properties of Carbon
Elements (C, H, O, N, P and S) form covalent bonds, comprise ~92% of the dry weight of living things.
Carbon has the unique ability to form a virtually infinite number of compounds as a result of its capacity to make as many as four highly stable covalent bonds combined with its ability to form covalently linked C-C chains of unlimited extent
Over 17 million chemical compounds, nearly 90% are organic (carbon containing) substances.
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- Chemical evolution
We are far from certain as to how life arose .
Earths atmosphere contain significant quantities of O2, H2O, N2, CO2 and smaller amounts of CO, CH4, NH3, SO2 and possibly H2.
UV radiation from the sun or lightning discharges caused the molecules to react to form simple organic compounds such as amino acids, nucleic acids bases and sugars.
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- The rise of living systems
Living systems have the ability to replicate themselves
The inherent complexity of such a process is such that no manmade device has even approached having this capacity.
There is an infinitesimal probability that a collection of molecules can simply gather at random to form a living entity.
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