8/13/2019 192891 Introduction to Biochemistry II

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/192891-introduction-to-biochemistry-ii 1/1

What is Biochemistry?

Biochemistry can be defined as the science concerned with the chemical basis of life

(Greek bios “life”). It is the chemistry of biology. The science of biochemistry has also beencalled physiological chemistry and biological chemistry. The major objective ofbiochemistry is the complete nderstanding! at the moleclar level! of all of the chemical

processes associated "ith living cells.

Biochemistry is a branch of #ife science concerned "ith stdying the variosmolecles that occr in living cells and organisms! "ith their chemical reactions. Becaselife depends on biochemical reactions! biochemistry can be called the “basic langage” of allbiological sciences. Biochemistry is concerned "ith the complete spectrm of all forms oflife! from relatively simple virses and bacteria to comple$ hman beings. It attempts todescribe in moleclar terms the strctres! mechanisms! and chemical processes shared byall organisms. It also describes the organi%ing principles that nderlie life in all its diverseforms! principles "e refer to collectively as the moleclar logic of life.

Biochemistry e$plains ho" the remarkable properties of living organisms arise fromthe thosands of different lifeless (&') biomolecles. The stdy of biochemistry sho"s ho"the collections of inanimate molecles that constitte living organisms interact to maintainand perpetate life animated solely by the physical and chemical la"s that govern thenonliving niverse. In this conte$t “#ife can be referred to as orderly arrangement thatmakes “molecles”! fnctional! in the sense! it governs or performs varios physiochemical"ork dring "hich energy is transmtated and led to different fnctions acconting for "hat"e call living”. lthogh biochemistry provides important insights and practical applicationsin medicine! agricltre! ntrition! and indstry! its ltimate concern is "ith the "onder oflife itself.

  Biochemistry and medicine are intimately related to each other. The *orld +ealth,rgani%ation (*+,) defines health as a state of “complete physical! mental and social "ellbeing and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity.” -rom a strictly biochemicalvie"point! health may be considered that sitation in "hich all of the intra and e$tracelllarreactions that occr in the body are in perfect harmony. +ealth depends on a harmoniosbalance of biochemical reactions taking place in the body! and disease (“a state of harmonyamidst cacophony”)! reflects abnormalities in biomolecles! imbalances in biochemicalreactions! or biochemical processes.

-or more information on varios topics in biochemistry visit my "eb pageBiochemistry ,nline and my profile as an ,nline Ttor. There is an old adage that says thatyo never really learn a sbject ntil yo teach it.