[Chemistry Class Notes] on Biochemistry Pdf for Exam

Biochemistry is a discipline of Chemistry that deals with the chemical composition of living organisms. It deals with interactions between living organic cells and their surrounding fluids/matter and is the study of important chemical processes occurring within living organisms.

Biochemistry is the subdivision of Biology and chemistry that can further be divided into three segments, namely, metabolism, structural Biology and enzymology. By the end of the 20th century, these three variants together have been able to successfully explain the process of living. 

It is the study of how living things are made, how they work, and what chemicals they have. It also looks at the human body’s muscles and bones. In a Biochemistry Class, students can learn how cells are made or how blood works.

Thus Biochemistry helps in understanding the chemical basis that gives rise to the process through biological molecules that are occurring between the living cells and within the cells. This, in turn, relates to the understanding of tissues and organs as well as the structure of the organisms and their functions. Therefore, Biochemistry can alternatively be defined as the study of molecular Biology that relates to the molecular mechanisms of biological phenomena. 

Biochemistry is the study of structures and the interactions of biological macromolecules. These macromolecules include protein, nucleic acids, lipids, and carbohydrates present in your body. As a result, Biochemistry is being used in research related to botany, medicine, and gene enhancement. Biochemistry is now working on finding the secret of life and how biological molecules boost the processes that occur within the living cells. This study will help in understanding the whole working organism. 

Teaching, Science, researchers, analytical Chemist, and forensic scientist are all options for BioChemists. Let us see in detail the scope of Biochemistry.

Scope 

The evolution of life that took us from the small microorganism to apes, to the humans which we have now become. All that study falls under one of the branches of Biochemistry. Besides, it is a study that is said to be the language of nature. All the tools that you see in the field of medical science are biochemical. 

Biotechnology is using genetic engineering, which is one of the most sophisticated branches of chemistry. The use of biotechnology can be seen in the field of medical science, animal farming, pathological research, etc. 

Lastly, one more branch we would like to mention is the medical Biochemistry, and this is one of the essential branches of the whole science as it deals with both the health and the disease of the human body. Every condition which the human body faces is biochemical because of every form of illness due to the abnormal behavior of chemicals and molecules present in the human body. 

Students who want to become BioChemists should start by getting better grades in F.Sc pre-med. After that, the next step is to get into a 4-year bachelor’s programme to get a Biochemistry degree. 

The students get to study proteins and carbohydrates and enzymes and amino acids and lipids as well as DNA and RNA as their main subjects.

A BioChemist can work well for both the government and the private sector. They can even set up their labs with help from doctors who know what they’re doing. 

Today, Biochemistry is very popular in research fields, so BioChemists can work on hot topics to write about and publish later. They can also choose to be scientists or to be a member of a scientific group.

Now let us have a look at the wide scope of Biochemistry in different fields:-

Medical Science:- In order to understand various aspects of medical science like drug development, immunology, pathology, pharmacy, vaccine development, etc. it is important to have thorough knowledge about Biochemistry. After completing my bachelors in this particular subject one can lookout for a marketing executive in different pharmaceutical companies or as a lab assistant in private or government organizations. Also one can also become a medical coordinator for big pathology chains and various medical transcriptionists for different healthcare groups. 

The clinical test done in the clinical laboratories is the main application area of Biochemistry. So one can join in as a pathologist in diagnostic centres relating to diagnostics, monitoring, and screening of patients.  Another advanced part of Biochemistry is Genetic Engineering or Recombinant DNA Technology that deals with the development of several vaccinations. Thus one can join as a researcher in the research and development department with the big pharmaceutical companies after completing one Masters in Biochemistry. 

Agriculture:– In order to understand the chemistry and the Biology of crops and medical plants, it is very important to have detailed knowledge about Biochemistry.  The study of plant Biochemistry will lead a student to become a plant scientist in future. The main job of the plant scientist is to work towards developing high yield crops, isolating medical components from plants as well as producing disease resistant crops. After gaining thorough knowledge about the tissue culture of plants one can set up their own independent firm or nursery.

Food industry:- To help the nutritionists in describing the different aspects of health-related to food consumption, the nutrition value of the food that is being consumed can be determined by the biochemist performing the biochemical tests. Also, the food analyst performs various studies that perform the proper measurement of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. They also have the skills and knowledge to find out various adulterations done in the food industry. For the present Biochemistry students, a food security officer is a very important job prospect. 

Academician:- after the masters, one can apply for B.Ed to become a teacher of the subject or can further pursue a PhD to become a professor in colleges and universities. Different govt. jobs like a Patent officer, Scientific Officer (BARC, DRDO, and ISRO), Epidemiologist, Forest officer, Food security officer can be a very good option for the student currently pursuing masters in Biochemistry.  

Importance of Biochemistry

Biochemistry knowledge is essential in our daily lives. Agriculture, medicine, and medical treatment all benefit from it. Below is the importance of Biochemistry:

• Biochemistry can help you increase your crop productivity.

• It is critical for enhancing land quality by preserving vegetables and flowers, as well as assisting in the preparation and preservation of food materials.

• It is necessary to understand the actions of numerous genes as well as their interactions with enzymes.

• It is useful in determining the nutritional requirements of animals. It aids in the provision of adequate nutrition and the elimination of malnutrition.

• To understand heredity in plants and animals, geneticists rely on metabolic reactions.

• It aids in the discovery of new drugs in the pharmaceutical industry.

• It explains how to use medications properly.

• It is beneficial in the treatment of sick people and animals.

• It aids in the improvement of beneficial animal breeds and nutrition, as well as the study of herbicide and pesticide activity.

Application of Biochemistry

Application in agriculture is as follows:-

1. Increase fertility: The fertility of the crop can be increased with the help of the study of Biochemistry. The agriculturist uses the Biochemistry tools to find out the conditions of the plants and experiment accordingly to improve their fertility. 

2. Increase Growth: The reaction between the pesticides and the crops in the cell is analysed by the biochemist and does it contribute to rising plant growth.

3. Disease control: The study of Biochemistry because of its versatility provides a large number of treatments to help control plant diseases. Exclusion and eradication of disease plants falls under few of such techniques that are used in Biochemistry.

4. Animal husbandry: Appropriate cultivation and growth of domestic animals falls under the animal husbandry. Various Biochemistry tools are used by the experts to diagnose disease in such animals and provide control accordingly.

5. Soil conditions: The soil condition, its composition and its deficiency is comprehended with the help of Biochemistry tools. Therefore this focuses primarily on enhancing the soil condition and work on it .

Application in medicine:-

1. Blood test: Blood test suggest serum test for diagnosing hepatitis falls under few of the crucial blood tests where Biochemistry plays a crucial role. Biochemistry tools are mostly used for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of liver functioning. Moreover it also analyses the blood sugar level in human blood. It also helps in performing the urine test to find out the kittens where the complete blood count indicates the overall health of a patient. All these tests are related to the study of Biochemistry.

2. Liver test: In order to understand and assist the liver condition of a patient it is important to know a few Biochemistry tools. For qualitative and quantitative analysis the same PCR test is used. Also the Biochemistry techniques are used for diagnosis of HCC.

3. Pregnancy test: Biochemistry test and techniques are also used to find out about the pregnancy. Urine test is required to find out about the gonadotropin hormone that a body produces. A particular blood test which is also known as HCG test is done to find out about the pregnancy. It indicates the initial level of human gonadotropin which rises during the pregnancy.

4. Kidney function: A lot of Biochemistry tools are used for a simple urine test that checks the pH and the colour of the urine that changes during the kidney issues.

5. AFP test: Alpha-fetoprotein is used as a marker to test the poor liver function of the patient and to know whether the patient has liver dysfunction on liver cancer.

Branches of Biochemistry

There are eight main branches of Biochemistry and they are Enzymology, Immunology, Molecular Biology, Plant Biochemistry, Animal Biochemistry, Metabolism, Cell Biology, and Medical Biochemistry.

1. Enzymology: It studies the behaviour of the enzymes and the biological catalysts like some of the proteins and the catalytic RNA along with the co-enzyme and the cofactors such as vitamins and metals.

2. Immunology: It studies the reaction of the organisms to the other organisms such as bacteria and viruses. This takes into account the entire reaction in immune functioning of living organisms. It essentially studies the behaviour of the development and production of antibiotics.

3. Molecular Biology: It aims at studying the processes that take place in living organisms from a molecular point. It investigates in detail the disintegration as well as the integration of the molecules for making upper living beings. It also studies the behaviour of the macromolecules such as DNA RNA enzymes and hormones extra within the cell.

4. Metabolism: It aims at studying the various types of metabolic pathway at cellular level and organic context. It is an essential skill of enzymology and cell Biology. Big metabolism is considered as the biochemical reaction that makes life possible.Thus metabolism can be defined as a set of science in techniques dedicated to complete study of the system compromising the set of molecules that metabolic intermediates primary and secondary metabolic switch can be found in the biological system.

5. Cell Biology: It is dedicated to the study of morphology and physiology of prokaryotes and eukaryotes. The study of cell Biology deals with the properties of biochemical composition structures organelles function and their interaction with the environment  and the life cycle. To know the intrinsic cellular life processes during cell cycle suggest respiration synthesis of components cell division nutrition defence mechanism and cell death it is an essential area of study.