Biochemistry and Molecular Biology - Prospective Students

What are genes?
How do hormones work?
How does the brain work?
How is the genetic code read?
What goes wrong in a cancer cell?
Why can't everyone run a two-hour marathon?
How do plants trap and store the energy of sunlight?
Why are enzymes so extraordinarily good at speeding up biochemical reactions?

These are just a few examples of the questions that interest biochemists. Biochemistry involves the molecular functions of all living organisms, bacteria, plants and animals (including mankind). These processes are chemical in nature because life itself functions by chemical means. The amazing thing is that these chemical processes are much the same in all life forms from the smallest bacterium to the largest whale. Biochemistry deals with the way in which molecules are organised and interact to achieve the functions of the living cell and of the organism. There are three main aspects to the field:

Information

The discovery of the coded information stored in the base sequence of DNA has led to great advances in our understanding of the regulation of gene expression. Techniques based on this understanding allow manipulation of genetic information. Human insulin is now being produced in bacterial cells. A new kind of tomato, produced by genetic manipulation, lasts longer on the shelf. new approaches to medical diagnosis and treatment, plant breeding, genetics and even forensic science are resulting from this new understanding.

Energy

All living organisms require energy to maintain their function. Fermentation, muscle contraction and photosynthesis were some of the earliest systems to be studied. Today this area is as important as ever and this knowledge is being applied in areas as diverse as sports training, modern biotechnology and the untilisation of solar energy by mankind.

Structure

The structure and function of all living things depends on the molecules they are made from and the way in which these molecules fit together to form structures. The shape of molecules is very important not just in building cells but in the chemical reactions they can carry out. Enzymes, for instance, are large and are more efficient than the reaction systems used by chemists. As a result enzymes are increasingly being used in industrial processes.