Sunday, November 1, 2009

What is Biochemistry


Biochemistry is the study of the chemical processes in living organisms. It deals with the structure and function of cellular components such as proteinscarbohydrates,lipidsnucleic acids and other biomolecules.
Among the vast number of different biomolecules, many are complex and large molecules (called polymers), which are composed of similar repeating subunits (calledmonomers). Each class of polymeric biomolecule has a different set of subunit types.[1] For example, a protein is a polymer whose subunits are selected from a set of 20 or more amino acids. Biochemistry studies the chemical properties of important biological molecules, like proteins, and in particular the chemistry ofenzyme-catalyzed reactions.
The biochemistry of cell metabolism and the endocrine system has been extensively described. Other areas of biochemistry include the genetic code (DNARNA), protein synthesiscell membrane transport, andsignal transduction.
Since all known life forms that are still alive today are descended from one of two common ancestors, they have generally similar biochemistries.[2][3]
It remains unknown whether alternative types of biochemistries are possible, or practical, given thechemical elements composing the matter of the Universe. An emerging thesis, called "carbon chauvinism," holds that only carbon-based compounds are available to be part of a real biochemistry.






Its a free source article and was copied from the link below






http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biochemistry

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