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Biochemistry

Molecules of Life

What is biochemistry?

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Biochemistry is the field focused on elucidating and explaining the complex chemical processes that take place in biological systems. It’s a diverse field, drawing on aspects from virtually every other subfield of chemistry to explain the molecular processes that drive living things. Often, biochemists study complex reaction sequences and catalytic processes involving molecules much larger than those routinely encountered in other subfields of chemistry. A few topics commonly encountered in biochemistry include studying how our cells obtain energy, understanding how our genetic material (DNA) dictates who we are, and explaining how our body regulates and stores nutrients from the foods we eat.