Chemical

Composition of
The Cell
By

Khalid Soomro
 BIOCHEMISTRY
The branch of science that explores the chemical
processes within and related to living organisms.
It is a laboratory based science that brings
together biology and chemistry.
By using chemical knowledge and techniques,
Biochemists can understand and solve biological
problems.
 Element
• A chemical element or Element is a species
of atoms having the same number
of protons in their atomic nuclei (i.e. the
same atomic number, Z).
• There are 118 elements that have been
identified of which the first 94 occur naturally
on Earth with the remaining 24
being synthetic elements. There are 80
elements that have at least one
stable isotope and 38 that have
exclusively radioactive isotopes
• Which decay over time into other
elements. Iron is the most abundant element
(by mass) making up Earth, while oxygen is the
most common element in the crust of Earth.
 Major and Trace Elements
• Almost 99% of the mass of the human body is
made up of six elements: oxygen, carbon,
hydrogen, nitrogen, calcium, and phosphorus.
• Only about 0.85% is composed of another five
elements: potassium, sulfur, sodium, chlorine,
and magnesium. All are necessary for life.
• The remaining elements are trace elements,
of which more than a dozen are thought to be
necessary for life.
 Compound
• An entity consisting of two or more atoms, at
least two from different elements, which
associate via chemical bonds. There are four
types of compounds, depending on how the
constituent atoms are held
together: molecules held together by covalent
bonds, salts held together by ionic
bonds, intermetallic compounds held together
by metallic bonds, and certain complexes held
together by coordinate covalent bonds
 Compound
• Any substance consisting of two or more
different types of atoms (chemical elements)
in a fixed proportion of its atoms can be
termed a chemical compound.
Organic and Inorganic Compounds
• Inorganic compounds do not contain carbon.

• Organic compounds contain carbon and

hydrogen and usually are associated with
living things.
 Four groups of Organic Compounds
• Carbohydrates
• Lipids
• Proteins
• Nucleic Acids
 Carbohydrates
• Made of the elements carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen
• Supply energy for cell processes, form plant structures; short-
term energy storage
• Sugars-fruits, starch and cellulose-found in cell walls of plants
• Sources: Fruits, Rice, Bread, Potato, Cookies, Soft drinks
 Lipids
• Made of the elements carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen
• Store large amounts of energy long term; form boundaries
around cells
• Fats, oils, waxes, phospholipids, and cholesterol
• Sources: Butter, Cheese, Coconut oil, legumes, Mustered oil
 Proteins
• Made of the elements carbon, oxygen, hydrogen,
nitrogen,and sulfur
• Regulate cell processes and build cell structures
• They make Enzymes, skin, hair and musscles.
• Sources: Meat,Milk,Beans,Eggs,Fish,Beans
 Nucleic Acids
• Made of the elements carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen,
and phosphorus
• Carry hereditary information; used to make proteins
• DNA and RNA