2. THE CHEMISTRY OF THE LIVING WORLD What is Biochemistry? WARM UP Do you study biochemistry in your school? How do you like it? Definition of biochemistry is the of science that explores the chemical processes that take place inside , from bacteria to plants and animals. Biochemistry is a relatively new laboratory-based science which emerged as a separate discipline when scientists combined biology with organic, inorganic, and physical chemistry, and began to study like how living things obtain energy from food, the chemical basis of heredity, and what fundamental changes in disease. Biochemistry 1 branch all living things issues occur Areas of study Biochemistry has helped to our understanding of living organisms and has played an important role in contributing to in many areas , including , , and protection of the environment. Since biochemistry is the study of life at the , it the of a wide of other scientific disciplines, among which are , , and . Biochemists examine what happens inside our cells by studying how the different components of our cells work together and allow the cell to function and how they communicate with each other. develop advances 1 medicine agriculture molecular level provides foundations range genetics forensics microbiology plant science MORE “Biochemistry is the science of life. All our life processes – walking, talking, moving, feeding – are essentially chemical reactions. So, biochemistry is actually the chemistry of life, and it's supremely interesting.” – Aaron Ciechanover (Israeli biologist) 1 DO Do you share Aaron Ciechanover’s opinion that biochemistry is “supremely interesting”? Can you name any of its many applications? 1 Progress achieved Progress in the biochemical understanding of the mechanisms behind many serious diseases has led to investigate possible for illnesses such as cancer and AIDS, and to find new . Biochemistry also helps us to decode the found in our . Biochemists have discovered that everyone has their own unique genetic code, or 'genetic fingerprint', which has led to huge developments in forensic and genetic investigations. Biochemistry also contributes to protecting the environment by fighting pollution and designing biocompatible products. The genetic engineering of plants has led to , which include improvement and resistance to and disease. Plant biochemistry largely photosynthesis – how plants metabolize carbon dioxide and sunlight to create sugars and oxygen. It also studies how some plants can filter out contaminants in the environment and break them down into components. cures medicines genetic information DNA advances in agriculture crop pests deals with release harmless