Biochemistry at uni

[summersoon]

Please can someone give me a brief description of what is studied.
Is it mainly chemistry or biology?
Is it interesting?
What sort of careers can you go into at the end of it?

Thanks for any help, or if anyone knows some good websites.

X

[sddsddean]

My mate got his BSc and PhD in Biochemistry. He used to work for the Wellcome Foundation researching into cancer, but took a job opportunity to go and live in Vancouver where he checks that 'new' drugs are new (not copies of existing drugs) and can therefore be sold as a 'new' drug.

[Peter Pedant]

But that is more pharmacology
(action of drugs on an animal - a drug is anuthing with pharm action rather than an opiate)

Biochemistry is the chemistry of a cell. Obvioiusly it is all organic chemistry

Proteins are strings of aminoacids all strung alon with a CO- NH bond and these can be twisted into carious shapes.

DNA - Chemistry of life

Glycolysis is the conversion of glucose to a 3 carbon moiety whose name escapes me. This then feeds into the citric acid cycle. All this does is supply energy (ATP) for the cell to work

You spend weeks on all these aspects

Plants on the other hand are not able to vary their envirnoment by walking and so they have much more interesting biochemical reactions - they have to make verything on site

Try Steven Rose - theCHemistry of LIfe
available in paperback

[sddsddean]

The question was 'What sort of careers can you go into...', so it is irrelevant that you may think this is pharmacology PP. This is what he did as a direct result of getting a doctorate in Biochemistry.

[Buenchico]

The official UK university careers website, Prospects, suggests possible career paths for biochemistry graduates:
http://www.prospects.ac.uk/cms/ShowPage/Home_p age/Options_with_your_subject/Your_degree_in_b iochemistry/Job_options/p!egikmcb

Chris

[theprof]

As a professor of biochemistry myself, I think it might be just as well to define biochemistry for you. Biochemistry is the science concerned with the chemical constituents of living cells and with the reactions and processes that occur in those cells.

In essence, biochemists explain in molecular terms, all the chemical processes in living cells.

It is true that biochemistry contains a great deal of organic chemistry but a considerable knowledge of physical chemistry is also necessary to fully understand the processes that occur at cellular level. It would be incorrect to define the chemistry aspect as organic chemistry alone. Furthermore, in some processes inorganic chemistry is also involved.

It is true that the complexity of biochemical reactions does differ between plants and animals but mobility of the relevant kingdom is not a reason to consider whether one kingdom's biochemistry is more "interesting" than another: this has always been a humorous issue between plant and animal biochemists.

The link provided by Chris gives a good summary of possible career paths after you graduate. I would add though that you might also consider teaching.

(continued)

[theprof]

I've got students at my uni who have been taught "A level" chemistry by biochemistry graduates that are previous alumni of my university who have gone into teaching. We've also got students who have been taught biology again by biochemistry graduates. This is not an unusual scenario nowadays thanks to the flexibility and multi-skilling demanded of many secondary school teachers. All the same, it should enable you to see that biochemists have a deep understanding of both chemistry and biology.

Yes, biochemistry is very interesting and the science allows you to mesh together both chemical and biological processes in a way that's quite unique in science.

Although I'm a professor at a leading UK uni and a visiting professor at a number of others including a medical school, I'm also an adviser for the government and work at one or two of their research agencies for part of my time. Now and again, I've even been known to edit or write the odd textbook. Believe me, it's never a dull moment and if you're really interested in biochemistry, go for it.

[summersoon]

Thanks for all your answers, all were very helpful, thanks for your time. xx