Why is basic knowledge of biochemistry important

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Do you want to share your location for better user experience? Biochemistry is rapidly expanding, becoming one of the most influential areas of science. Combining the core tenets of biology and chemistry, the field plays a huge role in the development of novel new scientific approaches.

But just how important is it to medicine? Medical science cannot really exist without biochemistry. What is biochemistry? The typical scope of medical biochemistry can encompass the following: The chemical components of the human body , including carbohydrates and lipids; amino acids and proteins; blood and plasma; biological membranes; nucleic acids DNA and RNA The major chemical processes in the human body , such as cell development; enzyme activity; membrane transport mechanisms; homeostasis; blood coagulation clotting ; oxygen transport; neurotransmitter function; ageing Nutrition and mineral metabolism , including the role and function of vitamins in the body Molecular genetics Heredity Genomics Much of biochemical inquiry deals with the structures, functions and interactions of biological macromolecules — large molecules such as proteins which provide the structure of cells and perform many of the functions associated with life.

What does a biochemist do? What impact has biochemical research had on medical science? All diseases have a molecular basis, so biochemistry enables us to understand the chemical processes involved in conditions as varied as: diabetes hyperammonemia, hypo- and hyperthyroidism hypo- and hyperparathyroidism jaundice kidney dysfunction hypercholesterolemia phenylketonuria sickle cell anaemia dental fluorosis rickets acidosis and alkalosis lysosomal storage diseases atherosclerosis Wit information gleaned from the chemical nature of pathologies, biochemists working in medicine are able to investigate potential treatments for diseases.

Can biochemistry help to prevent antiobiotic resistance? Find out more here What does the future hold for biochemistry? The many subfields of biochemistry are certainly going places. Biochemists need to understand how the structure of a molecule relates to its function, allowing them to predict how molecules will interact.

Biochemistry covers a range of scientific disciplines, including genetics, microbiology, forensics, plant science and medicine. Because of its breadth, biochemistry is very important and advances in this field of science over the past years have been staggering. These close relationships emphasize that life, as we know it, depends on biochemical reactions and processes.

The knowledge that yeast can convert the sugars to ethyl alcohol predates recorded history. It was not, however, until the earliest years of the 20th century that this process led directly to the science of biochemistry. Despite his insightful investigations of brewing and wine making, the great French microbiologist Louis Pasteur maintained that the process of fermentation could only occur in intact cells.

This revelation resulted from storage of a yeast extract in a crock of concentrated sugar solution added as a preservative.

Overnight, the contents of the crock fermented, spilled over the laboratory bench and floor, and dramatically demonstrated that fermentation can proceed in the absence of an intact cell.

This discovery made possible a rapid and highly productive series of investigations in the early years of the 20th century that initiated the science of biochemistry. Your MyAccess profile is currently affiliated with '[InstitutionA]' and is in the process of switching affiliations to '[InstitutionB]'. This div only appears when the trigger link is hovered over. Otherwise it is hidden from view. Forgot Username? About MyAccess If your institution subscribes to this resource, and you don't have a MyAccess Profile, please contact your library's reference desk for information on how to gain access to this resource from off-campus.

Learn More. Sign in via OpenAthens. It has provided explanations for the causes of many diseases in humans, animals and plants. Biochemists are interested, for example, in mechanisms of brain function, cellular multiplication and differentiation, communication within and between cells and organs, and the chemical bases of inheritance and disease.

The biochemist seeks to determine how specific molecules such as proteins, nucleic acids, lipids, vitamins, and hormones function in such processes. Particular emphasis is placed on the regulation of chemical reactions in living cells. Biochemistry has become the foundation for understanding all biological processes. It has provided explanations for the causes of many diseases in humans, animals, and plants.