Biochemistry introduction

Biochemistry, sometimes called biological chemistry, is the study of chemical processes within and relating to living organisms. Biochemistry is a branch of life science which deals with the studyof chemical reactions that occur in living cells and organisms. Life is a chemical process involving thousands of different reactions occurring in an organised manner. These are called metabolic reactions. The term Biochemistry was first introduced by the German Chemist Carl Neuberg in 1903. It takes into account the studies related to the nature of the chemical constituents of living matter, their transformations in biological systems and the energy changes associated with these transformations.

In brief the objectives of biochemistry can be listed as follows:

1. Isolation, structural elucidation and the determination of mode of action of biomolecules.

2. Identification of disease mechanisms.

3. Study of in born errors of metabolism

4. Study of oncogenes in cancer cells

5. The relationship of biochemistry with genetics, physiology, immunology, pharmacology, toxicology etc.

Biochemistry is related to almost all the life sciences and without biochemistry background and knowledge, a thorough understanding of health and well-being is not possible.

Biochemistry and the Living State

The central goal of Biochemistry is to determine how the collections of inanimate molecules found in living organisms interact with each other to constitute, maintain,and perpetuate the living state.Two parent lines in the genealogy of the Science of Biochemistry

One line arose from Medicine and Physiology, a by – product of earlyinquiries into the chemical composition of blood, urine, and the tissuesand their variation in health and disease.

 The other lineage traces from Organic Chemistry, from early studies on the structure of naturally occurring organic compounds.

Two major developments that allowed Biochemistry to emerge as a full – fledgedScience.

 The recognition of multienzyme systems as catalytic units in the major metabolic pathways and the development of a unifying hypothesis for the transfer of energy in living cells.

 The recognition that heredity, one of the most fundamental aspects of Biology, has a rational molecular basis.

 The success of Biochemistry in explaining many cellular phenomena has been sogreat that many scientists have come to a conclusion that Biology is Chemistry.

 If Biology is Chemistry, it must be a kind of “superchemistry” because themolecules found in living organisms do not only conform to all the familiar physical and chemical principles governing behavior of all molecules but, in addition, interact with each other in accordance with another set of principles, “The Molecular Logic of the Living State.”

 These principles should be regarded as a set of ground rules that govern the nature, function, and interactions of the specific types of molecules found in living organisms, that endow them with the capacity for self – organization and self – replication. The principles will be uncovered in the next topics to be discussed.