Introduction to Biochemistry

Introduction to Biochemistry

• Biology studies living organisms while chemistry is the study of matter, including its properties, composition, and reactions.
• Biochemistry combines biology and chemistry to explore biochemical reactions and processes essential for life.
• Biochemical processes occur within living cells and include numerous reactions organized in specific cellular organelles.

Major Branches of Biochemistry

• Medical Biochemistry
  • Examines the chemical basis of the human body, focusing on health and disease.
  • Analyzes how biochemical changes are related to various disease states.
• Clinical Biochemistry
  • Studies diseases through the analysis of bodily fluids, such as blood and urine.
  • Supports diagnosis, therapy, and research in medicine.

Other Branches of Biochemistry

• Bacterial Biochemistry
  • Investigates chemical processes in microbes and how they metabolize nutrients.
• Plant Biochemistry
  • Focuses on chemical processes and compounds in plants.
• Animal Biochemistry
  • Studied chemical processes and substances within animals.
• Industrial Biochemistry
  • Applies biochemical processes in industrial settings for producing pharmaceuticals, biofuels, and food products.

History of Biochemistry

• Biochemistry emerged in the late 18th to early 19th centuries.
• The term "Biochemistry" was coined by Carl Neuberg in 1903.
• Clinical Biochemistry developed as a distinct field in the 1940s.

Pioneer Workers in Biochemistry

• Significant contributions made by various scientists:
  • Berzilus: Enzyme catalysis.
  • Edward Buchner: Enzyme extraction.
  • Louis Pasteur: Fermentation processes.
  • Hans Krebs: TCA cycle.
  • Banting and Macleod: Insulin discovery.
  • Watson and Crick: Structure of double-stranded DNA.
  • Paul Berg: Recombinant DNA technology.
  • Karry Mullis: Polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

Aims and Objectives of Studying Biochemistry

• Understand the composition and role of various biomolecules in the human body, including their chemistry and location.
• Determine the mode of action of biomolecules through isolation and structural elucidation.
• Comprehend organized biochemical processes at the molecular and subcellular level.
• Identify disease mechanisms by studying inherited metabolic disorders and oncogenes related to cancer.

Principal Areas of Biochemistry

• Structural Chemistry
  • Focuses on understanding the three-dimensional structures of biological molecules and their implications for function.
• Metabolism
  • Examines all chemical processes that occur within living organisms for maintaining life.
• Chemistry of Molecular Genetics
  • Investigates the chemical basis of genetic materials and their biological implications.

Explore the fundamental concepts of biochemistry, the branch of science that examines the chemical processes and reactions occurring in living organisms. This quiz covers essential terminology and the relationship between biology and chemistry, highlighting the chemical basis of life.