Nomenclature of Biochemistry
Biochemistry may not be absent in a nomenclature course. Every year it becomes more evident how chemistry influences body and soul.
There is so much happening in (human) metabolism: everything obeys the laws of chemistry.
"It is all chemistry."
The nomenclature in the world of biochemistry is not simple, but yes obeys the normal rules for nomenclature.
Here we do not handle with the complicated names of medicines, for example. We look at the simple things.
The human body is built up of chemical compounds, all of them being in a non stop dynamic situation. They continuously suffer changes.
They change position, they are diluted of concentrated, they react with each other, they leave, they come, etcetera.
Many names of these substances are very well known by the public, like carbohydrates, proteins and fats.
Any chemist must know something more than the names of these three; think of structures, properties, reactions.
But this chapter is limited to the nomenclature. The rest comes later.
In general we distinguish four important groups of biochemical substances:
- Saccharides (carbohydrates, glycides)
- Lipids (oils and fats)
- Proteins
- Nucleic acids(DNA RNA)
In fact, biochemistry belongs to organic chemistry, but there are so many special substances part of living organisms, in particular the macromolecules, that there is sufficient reason to dedicate a special paragraph to names in biochemistry.
We talk about substances in living creatures (men, animals, plants). In this chapter we focus on men.
And structures of vitamines, hormones, and medicines etc. stay out.