Please enable JavaScript.
Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents.
The Foundations of Biochemistry - Coggle Diagram
The Foundations of Biochemistry
Cells are the fundamental unit of life.
All cells of the simplest and most complex organisms share certain fundamental properties, which can be seen at the biochemical level.
plasma membrane
cytoplasm
ribosomes
proteasomes
cytosol
metabolites
coenzymes
nucleoid (prokaryotes)
nucleus (eukaryotes)
Cellular dimensions are limited by diffusion.
typical cell sizes:
many unicellular microorganisms are only 1-2 micrometers long
animal and plant cells are typically 5-100 micrometers in diameter
upper and lower limits:
examples:
smallest cells are bacteria known as mycoplasmas at 300 nm
set by:
lower limit set by minimum number of each type of biomolecule required by the cell bc as the size of a cell increases, its surface to volume ratio decreases
many types of animal cells have a highly folded or convoluted surface that increases their surface to volume ratio
upper limit set by rate of transport of nutrients into the cell and waste products out
Organisms belong to three distinct domains of life.
Bacteria
single celled organisms
Archea
single celled organisms
inhabit extreme environments
Eukarya
Cells use a relatively small set of carbon-based metabolites to create polymeric machines, supramolecular structures, and information repositories.
Living organisms exist in a dynamic steady state, never at equilibrium with their surroundings.
Cells have the capacity for precise self-replication and self-assembly using chemical information stored in the genome.
Living organisms change over time by gradual evolution.