BioChemie

Biochemie, or biochemistry, is the science concerned with the chemical processes that occur in living organisms. It studies how molecules such as proteins, nucleic acids, carbohydrates, lipids and small metabolites interact to sustain life, and how energy is produced, stored and used within cells. Biochemistry provides a molecular account of metabolism, growth, signaling and gene expression.

The discipline emerged in the late 19th and early 20th centuries with the identification of enzymes and metabolic pathways, and with the realization that biological phenomena could be explained by chemical principles. The elucidation of DNA structure in the mid-20th century and advances in protein science propelled modern biochemistry.

Core topics include metabolism and energy transduction; enzymology and kinetics; the structure and function of biomolecules; molecular biology, gene expression and regulation; signal transduction and membrane biology; and omics approaches such as proteomics and metabolomics.

Common techniques span spectroscopy, chromatography, electrophoresis, mass spectrometry, X-ray crystallography, nuclear magnetic resonance, cryo-electron microscopy, and various separation and detection methods in clinical and research laboratories.

Applications include understanding disease mechanisms, developing diagnostics and therapies, improving agriculture and nutrition, and enabling industrial biotechnology, including production of enzymes, biofuels and pharmaceuticals.

Biochemistry intersects with chemistry, molecular biology, physiology and medicine, and its methods underpin modern life sciences, providing the molecular framework for many disciplines.