Biochemistry

<p>Biochemistry, or biological chemistry, is the study of <a href="/facts/Chemical_process/EBSGtK3y">chemical processes</a> within and relating to living <a href="/facts/Organism/j8JkL09u">organisms</a>.  A sub-discipline of both <a href="/facts/Chemistry/SrNqkGVm">chemistry</a> and <a href="/facts/Biology/1M1ee3pB">biology</a>, biochemistry may be divided into three fields: <a href="/facts/Structural_biology/XRkPtHYv">structural biology</a>, <a href="/facts/Enzymology/DSI1Fh7y">enzymology</a>, and <a href="/facts/Metabolism/WxDrm8k5">metabolism</a>. Over the last decades of the 20th century, biochemistry has become successful at explaining living processes through these three disciplines.  Almost all <a href="/facts/List_of_life_sciences/9HYkCgqe">areas of the life sciences</a> are being uncovered and developed through biochemical methodology and research.  Biochemistry focuses on understanding the chemical basis that allows <a href="/facts/Biomolecule/DGvFzN7R">biological molecules</a> to give rise to the processes that occur within living <a href="/facts/Cell_(biology)/bLM9UQvy">cells</a> and between cells, in turn relating greatly to the understanding of <a href="/facts/Tissue_(biology)/H7CpML7A">tissues</a> and <a href="/facts/Organ_(anatomy)/FUYsLaxz">organs</a> as well as organism structure and function. Biochemistry is closely related to <a href="/facts/Molecular_biology/YgqU35ub">molecular biology</a>, the study of the <a href="/facts/Molecule/N9ljSfFq">molecular</a> mechanisms of biological phenomena.
</p><p>Much of biochemistry deals with the structures, functions, and interactions of biological <a href="/facts/Macromolecule/039ULSLg">macromolecules</a> such as <a href="/facts/Protein/Jxmagu3E">proteins</a>, <a href="/facts/Nucleic_acid/2tTgcI0v">nucleic acids</a>, <a href="/facts/Carbohydrate/Geuuzxsf">carbohydrates</a>, and <a href="/facts/Lipid/TdQR87HX">lipids</a>. They provide the structure of cells and perform many of the functions associated with life. The chemistry of the cell also depends upon the reactions of small <a href="/facts/Molecule/N9ljSfFq">molecules</a> and <a href="/facts/Ion/3bePpDna">ions</a>.  These can be <a href="/facts/Inorganic/TfFfzxSz">inorganic</a> (for example, <a href="/facts/Water/0lkXnJPK">water</a> and <a href="/facts/Metal/PT8hNX6R">metal</a> ions) or <a href="/facts/Organic_compound/gqCNaN45">organic</a> (for example, the <a href="/facts/Amino_acid/WDxYwBny">amino acids</a>, which are used to <a href="/facts/Protein_biosynthesis/P4IcGjPd">synthesize proteins</a>). The mechanisms used by <a href="/facts/Cell_energy/kb6gpsvL">cells to harness energy</a> from their environment via <a href="/facts/Chemical_reaction/GpqWlKrz">chemical reactions</a> are known as <a href="/facts/Metabolism/WxDrm8k5">metabolism</a>. The findings of biochemistry are applied primarily in <a href="/facts/Medicine/2fnp90Je">medicine</a>, <a href="/facts/Nutrition/SMJ3Dhfs">nutrition</a>, and <a href="/facts/Agriculture/TGztqzJs">agriculture</a>. In medicine, <a href="/facts/Biochemist/gAWNAY5v">biochemists</a> investigate the causes and <a href="/facts/Pharmaceutical_drug/h9mhwWP2">cures</a> of <a href="/facts/Disease/55eeQlGL">diseases</a>. Nutrition studies how to maintain health and wellness and also the effects of <a href="/facts/Nutritional_deficiencies/KasQy5MR">nutritional deficiencies</a>. In agriculture, biochemists investigate <a href="/facts/Soil/5Ddpr3QM">soil</a> and <a href="/facts/Fertilizer/ysh3r6NJ">fertilizers</a> with the goal of improving crop cultivation, crop storage, and <a href="/facts/Pest_control/0ADEUBaF">pest control</a>. In recent decades, biochemical principles and methods have been combined with problem-solving approaches from <a href="/facts/Engineering/RFVg8H3I">engineering</a> to manipulate living systems in order to produce useful tools for research, industrial processes, and diagnosis and control of disease—the discipline of <a href="/facts/Biotechnology/8eFnI6FB">biotechnology</a>.
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Biochemistry open-in-new

Biochemistry