Biochemistry is a science that studies the chemistry of life; that is, it aims to describe the structure, organization, and functions of living matter in molecular terms. This science is a branch belonging to Chemistry and Biology. Biochemistry is an interdisciplinary science, as it draws its topics of interest from many other disciplines such as organic chemistry, biophysics, medicine, nutrition, microbiology, physiology, cell biology, and genetic biology.
chemistry
What is biochemistry
Table of Contents
The definition of what is biochemistry establishes that it is the science that is responsible for describing the chemical composition of all living beings from the molecular point of view, based on the premise that all living organisms contain carbon and that said molecules contain elements such like phosphorus, oxygen, sulfur, nitrogen, carbon, and hydrogen.
The concept of biochemistry also establishes that it is scientific in nature. Among the aspects studied are biomes, which are spaces on the planet that share characteristics such as flora, fauna, and climate; and biosystems, which are the systems that constitute all living beings within a given region and that share a relationship with each other.
What does biochemistry study
Several of the areas that biochemistry studies are proteins, nucleic acids, lipids and carbohydrates, which are biomolecules that make up all living beings. It also studies their reactions, such as metabolism; catabolism, which is the obtaining of energy from these reactions; and anabolism, which is the generation of molecules of life.
It is also in charge of studying the chemical composition of said molecules and how they generate reactions necessary for life, such as photosynthesis (conversion of light energy into stable chemical energy), digestion (conversion of food into simpler substances for absorption body) or immunity (the body's resistance to disease or threat to the system).
For the study of this science, there are biochemistry books that gather the knowledge in the area that has been obtained. One of the most important is Harper's book, Illustrated Biochemistry, which consists of the study of enzymes, proteins, amino acids, peptides, among other aspects of interest to the discipline, which allow us to deepen and understand more about the concept of biochemistry.
History of biochemistry
The definition of biochemistry does not have a long history, since it is practically new and has been given since the 19th century, when the sciences of chemistry and biology merged to give way to a new discipline, which is biochemistry.
However, approximately 5000 years ago, in carrying out activities such as making bread, the yeast reaction (fermentation) was one of the first biochemical tests carried out, although there was no awareness of the discipline at that time.
The word "biochemistry" was proposed by the chemist Carl Neuberg (1877-1956), who is considered the father of this branch, who studied the processes of fermentation, glycolysis, and through several studies, managed to establish methods to understand the phases from the alcoholic fermentation of glucose.
In addition, other experts such as Louis Pasteur (1822-1895), Friedrich Wohler (1800-1882) or Claude Bernard (1813-1878), devoted themselves to the study and experimentation of chemistry related to living beings. It was also in the nineteenth century when prestigious world universities dedicated a department for research and development of the discipline, which they had called physiological chemistry.
Wohler demonstrated that organic compounds can be created outside of a living organism, when he succeeded in synthesizing urea; and then the chemist Anselme Payen (1795-1871), discovered diastase, which is an enzyme found in some seeds and plants.
In the 20th century, technology allowed the acceleration in the advances of this discipline, such as the electron microscope, X-rays and chromatography. This allowed the discovery of the so-called metabolic routes, which are the successions of chemical reactions carried out by a substrate, in whose processes it is transformed.
Biochemical studies have allowed advances in the treatment of many metabolic diseases, and in learning more about the human genome. As well as in the field of medicine, it is also applied in dentistry, agriculture, forensic practice, anthropology, environmental sciences, among others.
In the 1940s and 1950s, research that took place at the University of Cambridge made it possible to discover the existence and structure of Deoxyribonucleic Acid or DNA, the molecule that defines each living being. In 1953, the biologist James Watson (1928) and the physicist Francis Crick (1916-2004) described the double helix structure of DNA, being one of the most important advances in the history of science. It was then that biochemistry, cell biology, and genetics became intertwined to form molecular biology.
Areas of biochemistry
In biochemistry, several areas can be differentiated, among which are:
Structural chemistry
It refers to the structure of the components of living matter and the relationship of biological function with chemical structure.
Metabolism
It refers to all the chemical reactions that occur in living matter, where it is intended to know the cellular metabolic routes existing in the body, studying all the chemical and biological reactions that make life possible.
Molecular Genetic
This studies genes, as well as heredity and how they are manifested. This branch is the one that studies DNA and RNA, and tries to decipher how the first one replicates from one organism to the next.
In addition to these areas, there are others such as:
- Bioorganic chemistry, which studies organic compounds or more specifically, those with carbon-hydrogen or carbon-carbon bonds.
- Enzymology, which studies the behavior of enzymes or catalysts, such as vitamins.
- Xenobiochemistry, which studies the behavior of the metabolism of compounds, whose structure is not typical in a certain organism.
- Immunology, which is responsible for studying the body's reactions to others that attack them, such as viruses, with antibodies intervening.
- Endocrinology studies secretions, such as hormones that affect the behavior of certain cells and functions.
- Neurochemistry studies those molecules that affect neuronal activity.
- Chemotaxonomy, in this branch organisms are classified and identified according to their chemical similarity.
- Chemical ecology studies the living compounds that influence the interactions of living things.
- Virology, which is an area of biology in charge of studying viruses, in order to classify them, know their composition and how they operate.
- Molecular biology, which studies the processes of living beings from a molecular point of view, and through the behavior of macromolecules, explain the functions of each living organism.
- Cell biology studies prokaryotic cells (unicellular organisms lacking a nucleus) and eukaryotes (cells with a nucleus), cell division, multiplication, among other processes thereof.
What is biochemical engineering
Biochemical engineering is the career that must be followed to dedicate oneself to the study of biomolecules, their dynamics, their metabolic routes and all the phenomena that have chemical and biological origin of organic beings for the use of the resources that may arise from there and, through other artificial processes, commercialize them. It is a relatively new profession, since it does not exceed 30 years since its inception, but its demand and application has increased.
Among the main activities carried out by a biochemical engineer are those of taking advantage of these resources, which can be used for the manufacture of food, fermented medicinal products or beverages, or other substances. In addition, the professional in biochemical engineering supervises all the processes that occur in the industry where these biological systems are used, at the same time that they must carry out research to make the best use of resources.
There are several areas in your field of work where you can work, for example, in the food sector, in companies that produce dairy, meat, vegetable, fruit, beverage, various types of sweets, additives and other ingredients; in the pharmaceutical sector, for the production of antibiotics, hormones, vaccines and other products of biological origin; and other types of diverse sectors, which may include educational institutions or research centers where new techniques and resources are developed for the manufacture of other products of biological origin.
Study biochemistry
In order to perform as a professional in this area, careers related to the study of agents of biochemical origin can be studied and there are several options in at least 23 states of Mexico.
In the country there are the professions of Biochemical Engineering, Degree in Chemical-biological Analysis, Degree in Biochemistry, the career of Biological Pharmaceutical Chemist, Environmental Biochemical Engineering, Degree in Diagnostic Biochemistry, Degree in Clinical Biochemistry, Degree in Biological Chemistry, Degree in Bacteriological Chemistry Parasitology, Biochemical Engineering in Food and Engineering in Industrial Biochemistry.
