Biological chemistry, or biochemistry, as it is popularly known, is the study of living organisms, as well as the chemical processes that occur in such organisms. Biochemistry is broken down into three disciplines namely, metabolism, structural biology, and enzymology.
Biochemistry mainly deals with processes that occur at a molecular level. This means that biochemists mostly examine what happens inside the cells of living organisms by taking into consideration things such as proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, nucleic acids, and organelles. They also examine how certain cells transmit information to each other and how they behave when they fight off illness.
What do Biochemists Do and Why is This Field so Important?
Biochemists deal with living organisms, such as plants, animals, and human beings. Studying these things allows them to not only understand how the human body communicates with itself, but the study also allows them to understand how our bodies react when faced with other foreign cells.
Biochemists, therefore, provide essential services as they strive to understand existing problems that relate to living organisms and give sustainable solutions. They help us understand diseases more, thereby equipping us with the tools to fight them better.
Besides diseases, they help us to understand how our bodies react to certain substances that we ingest, apply or inhale. Their skills are seen in the following areas – agriculture, cosmetics, and education, as well as in universities.