Biochemistry
| Biochemistry (chemical biology or biological chemistry) is the study of chemical processes within and relating to living organisms. It is a field that combines both chemistry and biology to investigate the chemical basis of life, explaining how biological molecules give rise to processes within and between cells, and relating to the understanding of tissues, organs, and organism structure and function. | |
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The emergence of biochemistry has been traced back to 1833 when Anselme Payen made the groundbreaking discovery of the first enzyme, known as diastase or amylase (Butnariu, 2018). In 1897, Eduard Buchner's groundbreaking work demonstrated that alcoholic fermentation, a complex biochemical process, could occur outside of living yeast cells. This experiment revolutionized early biochemistry. While the understanding of biological processes had been growing, leading to the emergence of biochemistry, it was formally recognized as a distinct discipline in 1903, with German chemist Carl Neuberg coining the term "biochemistry" (Butnariu, 2018). Previously, this field was known as physiological chemistry. Biochemistry has progressed, particularly from the middle of the 20th century and with the emergence of novel methodologies such as chromatography, X-ray diffraction, dual polarization interferometry, NMR spectroscopy, radio isotopic labeling, electron microscopy, and molecular dynamics simulations (Butnariu, 2018). |
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The three main principal areas of biochemistry are:
The ultimate aim of biochemistry is to provide a chemical explanation for every aspect of life. The study of biochemistry is largely dependent on the fundamentals of organic chemistry and other basic sciences since organic molecules (proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, nucleic acid) carry out life activities. |
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