Biochemistry deals with the application of chemistry to the study of biological processes at the cellular or molecular level (i.e.at the level of the cells in the body and the various molecules contained in them). It is also the study of chemical processes and reactions that take place within the living organisms.
It is the science concerned with the chemical basis of life, the chemical constituents of living cells and with the reactions and processes they undergo. By this definition, biochemistry encompasses large areas of cell biology, molecular biology, and molecular genetics.
The major objective of biochemistry is the complete understanding at the molecular level of all the chemical processes associated with living cells. Being the study of life, biochemistry remains the foundation for understanding of all biological processes like, the breakdown of carbohydrates, proteins and lipids (fats and oils). Also, it explains the causes of many diseases in human, animals and plants.
Without biochemistry, much of what is known today in the biological, medical and indeed all life sciences would have been inexplicable. Because life as it is known depends on biochemical reactions and processes, biochemistry is becoming the common language of all life sciences.
Biochemistry lies at the heart of genetics (biochemistry of nucleic acid), cannot be separated from physiology (study of body function), its principles and techniques are employed in fields of immunology, microbiology, zoology, and other biological sciences. Also, pharmacology and pharmacy depend to a very large extent on a sound knowledge of biochemistry. It is the backbone of chemical pathology and rationale for medicine and medical treatment.
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The knowledge of biochemistry has helped to elucidate many disease processes as well as how drugs are metabolized by enzyme catalyzed reactions. The mechanism by which some drugs work follows some biochemical explanations, for instance some of the antidotes used in cases of poisoning employ the principles of enzymology (an aspect of biochemistry).
Biochemists are the people who study biochemistry. They isolate numerous molecules found in the cells, determine their structures, and analyze how they function, using various techniques like chromatography, electrophoresis, spectroscopy, x-ray crystallography. Etc.
Molecules studied by biochemists include: carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, and the nucleic acid. Biochemists do more than just the agricultural or biological studies of these molecules, they seek to explain the chemistry behind them as well as their metabolism. They try to find the link between their deficiencies and some nutritional diseases, how error in the metabolism of some of them could result in health problems and how some diseases are transmitted on the basis of genetic inheritance.
Branches of Biochemistry
The beauty of biochemistry brought about its diversity and specialization. Among others, we have the following branches:
- Industrial Biochemistry: This is an aspect of biochemistry that deals mostly with industrial processes. Industrial biochemists often fit into the manufacturing industries like pharmaceuticals, bottling companies. They can work in the oil and gas industries as well. Also biotechnology and research centres are potential places for biochemists to work.
- Nutritional Biochemistry: This deals with the study of how food affects the health and survival of the body. Eating the right foods can help us avoid certain diseases or recover faster when illness occurs; just as lack of the right diet leads to nutritional diseases. The chemical substances called nutrients are responsible for the functions of good diets in the body. Nutrients are classified as carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals, and water. This is the subject of nutritional biochemistry. Biochemists in this field are useful in food processing companies like UAC, Unilever, Nestle Foods, etc.
- Clinical Biochemistry: This has to do with the analysis of body fluids such as blood and urine. They test for the abnormalities in blood sugar level, creatinine, potassium, uric acid, etc. Many biochemists specialize in this aspect and very many of them end up in the laboratory medicine as laboratory scientists.
Biochemists are by no means limited to the above. Fortunately enough, they have the potential to function anywhere because of the multi-faceted kind of training they have undergone. Those who chose to go for further studies e.g. MSc, PhD, end up as university lecturers. Very many of them as researchers, while others teach in polytechnics, colleges of education or even secondary schools.
Requirement for Studying Biochemistry
Are you very good in chemistry? Do you seek to unravel some mystery behind life and living organisms? Are you research oriented and skillful in the art of experimentation? Do you like biochemistry? Then, you may think of going for it.
To study biochemistry however, you must have at least five credits to include Mathematics, English Language, Chemistry, Biology and Physics. Most universities offer biochemistry as a pure science course, while some few present it as a medical science course. You may also come across applied biochemistry in some universities.
The admission is either through UTME or the direct entry. In UTME, prospective students must score up to the cut off mark as well as having good score in the Post-UTME. Direct entry admission requires three ‘A’ level passes in Physics, Chemistry and Biology.
Listed are the universities in Nigeria offering biochemistry as a course of study. AAU, AAUA, ABSU, ABU, ABUAD, ACHIEVERS, AJAYI, AL-HIKMAH, ANSU, BAYERO, BELLS, BENIN, BINGHAM, BIU, BOWEN, CALEB, COVENANT, CRESCENT, CRUTECH, EBSU, FOUNTAIN, FUTA, FUTO, GSU, ILORIN, IMSU, JABU, KASU, KSU, KSUST, LAGOS, LAPAI, LASU, LCITY, MADONNA, MAIDUGURI, MARKUDI, MINNA (with options in food science), MKAR, NDU, NOVENA, OAU, OBONG, OOU, PHC, REDEEMERS, RENAISSANCE, SALEM, TANSIAN, UDU, UMUDIKE, UNAAB, UNAD, UNIOSUN, UNN, WESTERN-DEL, WELLSPRING, WUKARI, WUSTO, YOLA, NASARAWA ( 0ffers the course as biochemistry and molecular biology), CRAWFORD, RHEMA, VERITAS, USTI, KWASU, ODOWA, FUTO (offers industrial biochemistry).
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