Subject and tasks of biological chemistry

Biological chemistry is the study of chemical processes in all living organisms. These processes consist of the constant exchange of substances and energy in the organism, its tissues and organs, the cell and its constituent structures. Before studying metabolism, it is necessary to get acquainted with the substances that change in the composition of different organisms. Biological chemistry is the study of the chemical structure and properties of proteins, nucleic acids, carbohydrates, lipids, vitamins and inorganic compounds, their distribution and location in various parts of the body, including the cell and its elements.

Biochemistry is the study of the structures, functions, and laws of synthesis of proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, nucleic acids, and other biomolecules. Molecules that differ in complexity and size are called biopolemers, and monomers are their constituent units. Each polymer biomolecule is made up of different units. For example, a protein polymer is made up of 20 different amino acids. Biochemistry is the study of the chemical properties of the most important biomolecules (and especially important enzyme-catalytic processes). This article provides a broad understanding of cell metabolism and the endocrine system. Other areas of biochemistry: genetic coding, protein synthesis, signals transduction in the transport process in the cell membrane. The main purpose of biochemistry is to understand the relationship of biological molecules to processes in living cells.

The main task of biological chemistry is to solve basic, general biological problems at the molecular level. One must not only know about ecosystems, but also be able to protect and use them.

Biochemistry consists of 3 sections:

• ❖    Static biochemistry.

• ❖    Dynamic biochemistry.

• ❖    Functional biochemistry.

Static biochemistry is the study of the chemical composition and properties of substances that make up a living organism. The main issues of this section are studied by bioorganic chemistry.

Dynamic biochemistry analyzes all the changes in the body, from the reception of substances to their release in the form of final products.

Functional biochemistry is the study of the chemical processes that take place in organs and tissues, depending on their function.

All branches of biological chemistry are interconnected and are parts of modern biochemistry. Biological chemistry is divided into human and animal biochemistry, plant biochemistry and microchemistry of microorganisms.

As biological chemistry is a field between biology and chemistry, it is based on the knowledge and ideas of the two sciences. This science emerged as a separate science at a certain stage of development of biological and chemical sciences. It is believed that the first understanding of biological chemistry began with the experiments of the famous French scientist Lavoisier (1743-1794) in the late eighteenth century. His classical research on oxidation and the role of oxygen in this process led to the discovery of the chemical basis of the "burning"

phenomenon in the body. Lavoisier concluded that the reaction absorbs oxygen, releases carbon dioxide, and generates heat.

The great medieval scholar and physician Abu Ali ibn Sina (980-1037) in his work "Laws of Medicine" described the classification of chemicals used in medicine, the "fluidity" of the body and the substances in the urine. People's natural desire to understand the causes of diseases and to seek drugs against them has aroused interest in the processes that take place in living organisms.

Biochemistry is taking a new place in pharmaceutical practice. In particular, enzymes, which are biological catalysts, are used in industry for the synthesis of drugs (eg, steroid hormones). Prospective ways to produce natural medicines using genetic engineering are being considered. Knowledge of the biochemistry of microorganisms has made it possible to create convenient and cost-effective methods of industrial production of drugs such as amino acids, nucleotides, nucleosides, vitamins, antibiotics. Methods for rapid and specific analysis of drugs using enzymes as analytical reagents have been developed.

As in other fields of science, due to the expansion and deepening of the problems of biological chemistry, new branches have emerged and independent networks have emerged. In recent years, membrane biochemistry, neurobiochemistry, analytical biochemistry, quantum biochemistry and others have joined the ranks of enzymology, vitaminology, endocrinology. However, the fundamental changes that have taken place in the biological sciences over the last quarter of a century are due to the unprecedented success of genes, cells, protein engineering, and biotechnology in general, born of molecular biology, molecular genetics, and the development of these wonderful fields.

Determining the relationship between the structure of molecules of proteins and nucleic acids and their biological function is one of the earliest but most important advances in molecular biology, the youngest branch of biology based on biochemical data.

Thus, modern biochemistry is on the verge of unraveling the deepest mysteries of life processes, solving the problems of protein synthesis, metabolism and offspring management. The solution of these important tasks provides a theoretical basis for solving the most serious human problems, such as cancer, viral diseases, hereditary diseases and cardiovascular diseases, prolonging human life.

Biochemical research and their methods. Since the work of biochemists is related to living objects, they will have to use high-level methods to isolate a substance, perform a number of additional processes to carry biological molecules to the usual physicochemical analysis. The order of processes in the separation of substances from biological material is approximately as follows:

• 1.    Homogenization.

• 2.    Ultracentrifugation.

• 3.    Extraction.

• 4.    Analysis (re-extraction, heat treatment, dialysis, sedimentation, electrophoresis, chromatography).

Biological chemistry is derived from a number of mixed sciences, which still maintain an integral relationship with them in the study of living nature, but at the same time remain a unique and independent science, and the relationship between the structure of substances and their functions. , the study of the exchange of chemical compounds in living organisms, the formation of energy in living systems, the mechanisms of control of physicochemical processes in organisms, tissues, cells, molecular mechanisms of transfer of genetic information in living organisms, etc. function.