Biochemistry - SL and HL Units

This unit was planned as part of the Chemistry IB Option B - Biochemistry scheme of work, and covers all the topics at SL and HL. It would also be suitable for other schemes of work.

It includes 10 full PowerPoints, along with student versions to use as notes, which have spaces for the students to add in missing information and activities for them to complete.

It also includes exam questions for practice or assessment purposes

Topics covered are:

Introduction to Biochemistry

- Metabolism
- Biochemical reactions in terms of oxidation and reduction
- Respiration
- Photosynthesis
- Hydrolysis and Condensation reactions

Proteins

- 2 amino acids and their behaviour as zwitterions
- Gel electrophoresis
- Paper chromatography
- Peptides
- Hydrolysis of peptides
- Proteins - primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary structures
- Acid-base properties of amino acids and proteins
- Acid-base buffers
- Enzymes
- Induced fit theory
- Non competitive and competitive inhibition
- The Michaelis-Menten equation
- Protein Assays

Lipids

- Fatty acids
- Triglycerides
- Calculating the iodine number
- Hydrolysis of triglycerides
- Rancidity of fats
- Energy values of fats
- Phospholipids
- Steroids (including cholesterol)
- Sex hormones
- Anabolic steroids

Carbohydrates

- Monosaccharides
- Reducing sugars
- Disaccharides
- Polysaccharides
- Starch, glycogen and cellulose

Vitamins

- Preventing deficiencies
- Water and fat solubilities of vitamins
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin D
- Decomposition of vitamins

Environmental Impacts of Biochemistry

- Xenobiotics
- Metabolism of xenobiotics
- DDT
- PCBs
- Heavy metal toxicity
- Pharmaceutically active compounds and detergents
- Host-guest complexes
- Polymers
- Green Chemistry

Nucleic Acids

- Nucleic Acids
- Nitrogeneous Bases and Nucleotides
- ATP
- The structure of DNA
- DNA profiling
- DNA replication
- Transcription
- Genetic Engineering

Biological Pigments


- Coloured compounds and biological pigments
- Carotenes
- Porphyrins
- Haemoglobin
- Factors affceting oxygen uptake in haemoglobin
- Foetal haemoglobin
- Cytochromes
- Chlorophyll
- Anthocyanins
- Melanin

Stereochemistry in Biomolecules

- Stereoisomerism
- 2-amino acids
- Fischer and CORN projections
- Stereochemistry in Carbohydrates
- Stereochemistry cyclic forms of monosaccharides
- Stereochemistry in cellulose
- Stereochemistry in fatty acids
- Stereochemistry in retinal and vision chemistry