What is Biochemistry? - Online Tutor, Practice Problems & Exam Prep

Biochemistry explores the structures and processes of living organisms, focusing on both physical and chemical changes. Physical processes, like the melting of ice, do not alter chemical composition, while chemical processes, such as electrolysis, do. This multidisciplinary field integrates biology, chemistry, and physics, with applications in medicine, agriculture, and technology. Understanding concepts like metabolic pathways, enzyme interactions, and molecular structures is crucial for grasping biochemistry's relevance in life sciences.

Introduction to Biochemistry Channel

Hi, everyone. Welcome to the Biochemistry Channel in Pearson Plus. My name is Jason, and I'm an experienced biologist and science educator. My job is to help you learn and understand the content in this course to prepare you for your exams while also having some fun along the way. I have a master's degree in applied molecular biology and diverse career experiences including genetics research at Johns Hopkins University and many years of teaching as both a college professor and a professional tutor.

In this biochemistry video-based course, we'll explore some of the most commonly taught topics, including protein structure and function, enzyme kinetics and regulation, bio-signaling pathways, cellular metabolism, and much, much more. We've strategically developed this course with you in mind to maximize your learning. Our video content is highly engaging and can be adapted to your class textbook. We have dozens of effective memory tools and mnemonics to help you remember critical information on your test. Also, every video has a downloadable lesson worksheet for you to print off, allowing you to follow along as you watch. There's simply no better way for you to learn and prepare for your exams.

If you have any questions along the way, post them in the comments section of any video, and our team will get right back to you. So again, welcome to the Biochemistry Channel and Pearson Plus. We are super excited to have you here. So once you're ready, let's get started.

What Is Biochemistry

Hey, guys. Welcome to Clutch Prep Biochemistry. My name is Jason, and I'm really excited to be your instructor this semester. If you have any questions, reach out to me via email at [e-mail]. Alright. So to get this class started, we're going to talk about what is biochemistry. Biochemistry seeks to answer fundamental questions like what are we made of and how do we work? Biochemistry can be defined as the study of structures and physical and chemical processes. But more specifically, it's those that are occurring in living organisms. We can see that in the root biochemistry, which means life. I want to remind you guys that physical processes do not involve changes in chemical composition, whereas chemical processes do. So let's take a look at our example. In this example, we're going to cover a classic physical process, the melting and evaporation of water. When we do that, what we'll notice is that we're only changing the spacing between the water molecules. The water molecules remain chemically intact in all of the phases of water. For that reason, we're not changing the chemical composition and this is a physical process. We compare that directly to a chemical process, such as the electrolysis of water, where we take 2 water molecules and apply an electric current, we can convert them into 2 hydrogen gas molecules and 1 oxygen gas molecule, which means that we've changed the chemical composition of the water molecule and this is a chemical process. We'll be talking about physical and chemical processes throughout our entire biochemistry course. In this next section, I want to change gears a little bit and talk about biochemistry as a whole.

Biochemistry is a multidisciplinary subject. All that means is that there are topics from different subjects. So we're going to see topics from biology, general and organic chemistry. We'll even see some physics topics and topics from other courses too, such as genetics. All of these topics are interrelated. The interrelated topics make it challenging to present one topic without also referring to the other topics. So, which topics should we be presenting first? That's the challenge. Really, there's no universally accepted sequence of topics that suits every course. However, in this Clutch Prep biochemistry course, we've worked hard to optimize our class to your textbook. The last thing I'll leave you with is that the applications of biochemistry are enormous. It can be applied to so many different fields from the medical, agricultural, nutrition, industry, and technology fields. Pretty much anything that involves life, biochemistry can be applied to it, and that's incredibly exciting as we move forward in our course. I'll see you guys in the next video.

Which of the following is a chemical process?

• A. Freezing water
• B. Tearing paper
• C. Rotating the bonds of a molecule
• D. Mixing acids and bases

Which of the following is a physical process?

• A. Digesting food in the stomach
• B. Rusting of iron
• C. Baking a cake
• D. A protein chain folding

Here’s what students ask on this topic:

What is biochemistry and why is it important?

Biochemistry is the study of the structures, functions, and processes of biological molecules within living organisms. It integrates principles from biology, chemistry, and physics to understand how life works at a molecular level. Biochemistry is important because it helps us understand the chemical processes that underpin various biological functions, such as metabolism, enzyme activity, and genetic information flow. This knowledge is crucial for advancements in medicine, agriculture, nutrition, and biotechnology, enabling the development of new treatments, sustainable farming practices, and innovative technologies.

What are the main differences between physical and chemical processes in biochemistry?

In biochemistry, physical processes involve changes in the state or appearance of a substance without altering its chemical composition. An example is the melting of ice into water, where the molecular structure of H₂O remains unchanged. Chemical processes, on the other hand, involve changes in the chemical composition of substances. An example is the electrolysis of water, where H₂O molecules are split into hydrogen (H₂) and oxygen (O₂) gases. Understanding these differences is crucial for studying metabolic pathways and enzyme reactions in living organisms.

How does biochemistry integrate with other scientific disciplines?

Biochemistry is a multidisciplinary field that integrates concepts from biology, chemistry, and physics. It draws on biology to understand cellular and molecular functions, chemistry to explore the interactions and reactions of biomolecules, and physics to study the physical properties and behaviors of these molecules. Additionally, biochemistry overlaps with genetics, as it examines how genetic information is translated into biochemical processes. This integration allows for a comprehensive understanding of life at a molecular level, facilitating advancements in various scientific and medical fields.

What are some real-world applications of biochemistry?

Biochemistry has numerous real-world applications across various fields. In medicine, it aids in the development of new drugs and therapies by understanding disease mechanisms at a molecular level. In agriculture, biochemistry helps improve crop yields and resistance to pests through genetic engineering and the study of plant biochemistry. In nutrition, it informs the creation of dietary plans and supplements by understanding metabolic pathways. Additionally, biochemistry is crucial in biotechnology for developing new technologies, such as biofuels and biodegradable materials, contributing to sustainable practices and innovations.

What are metabolic pathways and why are they important in biochemistry?

Metabolic pathways are a series of interconnected biochemical reactions that occur within a cell to maintain life. These pathways convert substrates through a sequence of enzymatic steps into final products, providing energy and building blocks for cellular functions. They are crucial in biochemistry because they help us understand how cells obtain energy, synthesize necessary compounds, and regulate their internal environment. Studying metabolic pathways allows scientists to identify targets for drug development, understand disease mechanisms, and develop strategies for metabolic engineering in biotechnology.