Biochemistry is both life science and a chemical science - it explores the chemistry of living organisms and the molecular basis for the changes occurring in living cells.
It uses the methods of chemistry,. 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. It is a laboratory based science that brings together biology and chemistry.
By using chemical knowledge and techniques, biochemists can understand and solve biological problems. Biochemistry focuses on processes happening at a molecular level. It also looks at how cells communicate with each other, for example during growth or fighting illness. Biochemists need to understand how the structure of a molecule relates to its function, allowing them to predict how molecules will interact. At its most basic, biochemistry is the study of the chemical processes occurring in living matter.
However, this simple definition encompasses an incredibly diverse field of research that touches nearly all aspects of our lives. One of the most pressing issues in our society, environmental degradation, is being addressed by biochemists. A few examples of work currently being performed include improvements in the efficiency of photosynthesis to increase crop yields, bioremediation of polluted soils, development of new feed-stocks, chemistries for the production of biofuels, genetic mapping of ecosystems to monitor biodiversity, and methodologies for boosting biological capture of carbon.
These and other biochemical technologies may play a crucial role in our efforts to find a sustainable means of living. Perhaps the most obvious application of biochemistry in our everyday existence is in the field of health research.
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