NEET MDS Lessons
Biochemistry
CLASSIFICATION OF ENZYMES
1. Oxidoreductases : Act on many chemical groupings to add or remove hydrogen atoms. e.g. Lactate dehydrogenase
2. Transferases Transfer functional groups between donor and acceptor molecules. Kinases are specialized transferases that regulate metabolism by transferring phosphate from ATP to other molecules. e.g. Aminotransferase.
3. Hydrolases Add water across a bond, hydrolyzing it. E.g. Acetyl choline esterase
4. Lyases Add water, ammonia or carbon dioxide across double bonds, or remove these elements to produce double bonds. e.g. Aldolase.
5. Isomerases Carry out many kinds of isomerization: L to D isomerizations, mutase reactions (shifts of chemical groups) and others. e.g. Triose phosphate isomerase
6. Ligases Catalyze reactions in which two chemical groups are joined (or ligated) with the use of energy from ATP. e.g. Acetyl CoA carboxylase
Nomenclature for stereoisomers: D and L designations are based on the configuration about the single asymmetric carbon in glyceraldehydes

For sugars with more than one chiral center, the D or L designation refers to the asymmetric carbon farthest from the aldehyde or keto group.
Most naturally occurring sugars are D isomers.
D & L sugars are mirror images of one another. They have the same name. For example, D-glucose and L-glucose
Other stereoisomers have unique names, e.g., glucose, mannose, galactose, etc. The number of stereoisomers is 2 n, where n is the number of asymmetric centers. The six-carbon aldoses have 4 asymmetric centers, and thus 16 stereoisomers (8 D-sugars and 8 L-sugars
An aldehyde can react with an alcohol to form a hemiacetal
Similarly a ketone can react with an alcohol to form a hemiketal
Pentoses and hexoses can cyclize, as the aldehyde or keto group reacts with a hydroxyl on one of the distal carbons
E.g., glucose forms an intra-molecular hemiacetal by reaction of the aldehyde on C1 with the hydroxyl on C5, forming a six-member pyranose ring, named after the compound pyran
The representations of the cyclic sugars below are called Haworth projections.

Fructose can form either:
- a six-member pyranose ring, by reaction of the C2 keto group with the hydroxyl on C6
- a 5-member furanose ring, by reaction of the C2 keto group with the hydroxyl on C5.
Cyclization of glucose produces a new asymmetric center at C1, with the two stereoisomers called anomers, α & β
Haworth projections represent the cyclic sugars as having essentially planar rings, with the OH at the anomeric C1 extending either:
- below the ring (α)
- above the ring (β).
Because of the tetrahedral nature of carbon bonds, the cyclic form of pyranose sugars actually assume a "chair" or "boat" configuration, depending on the sugar

Positively Charged (Basic)
| Amino Acid | Side Chain Group |
|---|---|
| Lysine (K) | ε-amino group |
| Arginine (R) | Guanidino group |
| Histidine (H) | Imidazole ring (partially charged at pH 7.4) |
Mnemonic: "His Lies Are Basic" (Histidine, Lysine, Arginine)
Negatively Charged (Acidic)
| Amino Acid | Side Chain Group |
|---|---|
| Aspartate (D) | Carboxyl group |
| Glutamate (E) | Carboxyl group |
Mnemonic: "Acidic Dragons Eat" (D = Aspartate, E = Glutamate)
Sphingosine is an amino alcohol present in sphingomyelins (sphingophospholipids). They do not contain glycerol at all.
Sphingosine is attached by an amide linkage to a fatty acid to produce ceramide. The alcohol group of sphingosine is bound to phosphorylcholine in sphingomyelin structure. .
Sphingomyelins are important constituents of myelin and are found in good quantity in brain and nervous tissues.
COENZYMES
Enzymes may be simple proteins, or complex enzymes.
A complex enzyme contains a non-protein part, called as prosthetic group (co-enzymes).
Coenzymes are heat stable low molecular weight organic compound. The combined form of protein and the co-enzyme are called as holo-enzyme. The heat labile or unstable part of the holo-enzyme is called as apo-enzyme. The apo-enzyme gives necessary three dimensional structures required for the enzymatic chemical reaction.
Co-enzymes are very essential for the biological activities of the enzyme.
Co-enzymes combine loosely with apo-enzyme and are released easily by dialysis. Most of the co-enzymes are derivatives of vitamin B complex
- There are two important phospholipids, Phosphatidylcholine and Phosphatidylserine found the cell membrane without which cell cannot function normally.
- Phospholipids are also important for optimal brain health as they found the cell membrane of brain cells also which help them to communicate and influence the receptors function. That is the reason food stuff which is rich in phospholipids like soy, eggs and the brain tissue of animals are good for healthy and smart brain.
- Phospholipids are the main component of cell membrane or plasma membrane. The bilayer of phospholipid molecules determine the transition of minerals, nutrients, and drugs in and out of the cell and affect various functions of them.
- As phospholipids are main component of all cell membrane, they influence a number of organs and tissues, such as the heart, blood cells and the immune system. As we grown up the amount of phospholipids decreases and reaches to decline.
- Phospholipids present in cell membrane provide cell permeability and flexibility with various substances as well its ability to move fluently. The arrangement of phospholipid molecules in lipid bilayer prevent amino acids, carbohydrates, nucleic acids, and proteins from moving across the membrane by diffusion. The lipid bi-layer is usually help to prevent adjacent molecules from sticking to each other.
- The selectivity of cell membrane form certain substances are due to the presence of hydrophobic and hydrophilic part molecules and their arrangement in bilayer. This bilayer is also maintained the normal pH of cell to keeps it functioning properly.
- Phospholipids are also useful in the treatment of memory problem associated with chronic substances as they improve the ability of organism to adapt the chronic stress.
The input to fatty acid synthesis is acetyl-CoA, which is carboxylated to malonyl-CoA.
The ATP-dependent carboxylation provides energy input. The CO2 is lost later during condensation with the growing fatty acid. The spontaneous decarboxylation drives the condensation.
fatty acid synthesis
acetyl-CoA + 7 malonyl-CoA + 14 NADPH → palmitate + 7 CO2 + 14 NADP+ + 8 CoA
ATP-dependent synthesis of malonate:
8 acetyl-CoA + 14 NADPH + 7 ATP → palmitate + 14 NADP+ + 8 CoA + 7 ADP + 7 Pi
Fatty acid synthesis occurs in the cytosol. Acetyl-CoA generated in the mitochondria is transported to the cytosol via a shuttle mechanism involving citrate