On Becoming Biochem Badass

Helloooooooo! I don't intend to be hohumm the boring Miss Boringson. But really I like incorporating more learning in my blog. I know you are learning soo much already with few of my how-tos, tips right here and there, how to get the man of your dreams--ack or should I say trap, how to bat an eyelash and all that but I also want to add more knowledge to what my students learn from their dear old Miss given the limited attention span you guyyyzz have in the classroom. So here goes and don't you fall asleep!! A lil bit of Hybdrid class it is. First of, if you have a curiosity about the living world and want to understand what makes it all work;  if you enjoy Chemistry and its application to Biology, then hold out your hands and give huge hugsss to Biochemistry!

Biochemistry is a practical laboratory science that applies the molecular approaches of Chemistry to the vast variety of biological systems and investigates the rapidly changing arena of Chemistry, Molecular and Cell Biology. In a nutshell, it focuses on how molecules act and interact to accomplish highly complex, intra- and intercellular processes. Biochemists, working with colleagues in other disciplines, have developed the new technologies of Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering. These have enabled the production of therapeutically important human proteins such as insulin and blood clotting factors by cloning procedures, thus avoiding costly, time-consuming and inefficient isolation of these molecules from biological sources; the identification and possible remedying of genetic problems; and the use of DNA fingerprinting in forensic science.

Inorganic chemistry is the basic standard course of chem. that you can take in high school then in college. It primarily deals with how chemistry is done and reactions between metals and nonmetals. Most of these are water soluble and are extremely useful in learning the math of chemistry.

Organic chemistry is the next level of chemistry. It deals with carbon chemistry. It is often used in industry to make various plastics and complex drugs. It is useful for medical students cuz of the emphasis in use of logic. This is a skill that is very vital in the medical profession. You might not need to remember every reaction once one is to become a doctor but one will definitely need to think scientifically and logically. This class is often used as a benchmark for admittance into med school cuz of the logic processes used.

Credits to Biochem students Carlos, Shenelle, Liniker, Latisha, et. al

Biochemistry is the marriage of inorganic, organic and biology. The body is mostly made of carbon, hydrogen, hydrogen and nitrogen. The complex biomolecules are organic in nature but are involved with inorganic salts found in the blood and sap. Most of the driving force for life is found in the movement of inorganic material from one side of a cell membrane to another side of the membrane.

How 'bout a pop quiz? So, what’s the importance of Biochemistry in Medicine and treatment?It pertains to almost everything. Almost every diagnosis and treatment has to be based on evidenced and functioning biology and chemistry. Understanding the functioning of different biochemical processes both intra- and extra-cellularly and their significance and constituents in pathology.

For one of any possible thousands of examples, when one sends off a blood sample for analysis for x, y and z enzymes to assess exempli gratia liver function, one is looking for the concentrations of a set of enzymes. If x enzyme is elevated, one wants to know what this means, which means one must also know why it could be elevated. To know and understand this, one must know the normal function, location et cetera of the enzyme, and thus why it could be elevated and what its effects could be; and as such a physician must be educated in the biochemistry in the human body.

This applies equally in treatment. When prescribing a medicine, one must understand how and why it has an effect, and the mechanism of its action so that one can predict side-effects and also select the best medicine for the specific disorder, in addition to the argument that a physician should always know and understand what he/she is prescribing. How does one understand medicines? Well, one must understand how they are absorbed, metabolised, how the effect a response... Some medicines, for example, are entirely inert in the form that they are found in the pill that you take! They then rely on being activated by biochemical reactions in your body - whether in digestion, or in metabolism by the liver that releases a whole new compound from the medicine that is active. Sometime this even occurs on the second pass through your liver with 2 inert stages, and sometimes it produces an active product on the first pass, which is than metabolised again to produce *another* active product! In short, it's pretty much relevant to everything in medicine.