Biochemistry studies chemical components and interactions in living things, with practical applications in pharmaceuticals, genetics, biotechnology, and food science. Biochemists develop drugs and products, analyze materials for contaminants, and improve health and safety.
Biochemistry is the study of chemical components in living things and the interaction between those components. As such, its practical applications are virtually limitless. Two of the biggest fields of work that require knowledge of biochemistry are pharmaceuticals and genetics.
The pharmaceutical industry relies heavily on biochemistry because the chemistry of the body needs to be studied in relation to the chemicals we might put into the body via prescription or over the counter drugs. Some drugs have been specially developed due to biochemical research.
For example, antidepressants such as Paxil, Zoloft and Prozac, called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), are used because there is a basic medical assumption that serotonin is used up too quickly by the body in depressed people. This significantly affects mood. By inhibiting the rapid uptake of serotonin by the body, more free serotonin is allowed to circulate and thus improves depression.
Biochemistry helps make possible the development of drugs such as SSRIs because theories based on these drugs are specifically derived from the study of chemicals made by the body that affect mood. Biochemical work on hormones, enzymes, proteins, and cell interaction improves understanding of what type of chemicals might be needed to correct imbalances, without negatively affecting other chemicals produced in the body. Therefore, pharmaceutical R&D remains an extremely important field for biochemistry.
Genetic research, such as the human genome project, is equally valuable, and is a field in which many biochemists participate. Furthermore, current stem cell research has yielded very important insights into the chemical processes that essentially cause cell death, called apoptosis. If stem cells can be used to repair parts of the body, it is essential that the cells are viable. Understanding the chemical signals that could kill a stem cell population helps to understand when and how stem cells might be used.
Biotechnology, the use of living things to make products, is another field where the biochemist thrives. Also, the food industry attracts biochemists. In food studies, biochemists might work in a number of practical ways, such as developing food products that are less likely to cause weight gain or developing foods that have highly beneficial qualities. Most wineries and breweries frequently use biochemistry to evaluate the yeasts and acids used to make alcohol.
Biochemists might also use their skills to make chemicals such as herbicides or pesticides. Many work in small research labs that may study specific things or analyze materials for contaminants. For example, testing water and food for live parasitic agents is a valuable piece of biochemistry.
In essence, those who major in biochemistry can use their knowledge in numerous ways to keep improving the earth. They can learn to replace dangerous chemicals with safer ones or find ways to improve health. They have a choice of fields that include applications in medicine, genetics, food science, biotechnology and pharmaceuticals. Their work is of tremendous value as we continue to discover the importance of chemical compounds which are the building blocks of all living things.
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