Types of RNA Molecules

Chapter 1: Biochemistry

The basis of all human diseases and cellular processes can be explained by the biochemistry of the cell. Knowledge of biochemistry requires a thorough understanding of amino acids, fatty acids, carbohydrates, and nucleic acids. It also requires knowledge of how these molecules are synthesized and metabolized. All of these topics are discussed in this first chapter.

Amino Acids

Most amino acids are considered the building blocks of proteins in the body, although not all amino acids make proteins. The primary components of an amino acid is the amine group (-NH3 group), a carboxyl group (a -COOH group), and a different side chain that defines the amino acid. In humans, there are twenty-one different amino acids that are the building blocks of proteins in the body. Each has a unique shape based on the presents of a pH of 7.4, which is the normal pH of the human body.

Figure 1 shows the basic structure of an amino acid:

Figure 1 The basic molecules nitrogen, hydrogen, oxygen, and carbon compose amino acids, but other atomic particles (such as sulfur) can be in the side chain. While five hundred amino acids are present in natural