Terms & Concepts

Biochemistry is a branch of science that studies the chemical substances and processes that occur in plants, animals, and microbes, as well as the changes that occur during their development and life. Biochemists are people who study the structures and physical properties of biological molecules such as proteins, carbohydrates, lipids and nucleic acids. Biochemistry uses analytical, organic, and physical chemistry techniques, as well as those of physiologists interested in the molecular foundation of vital activities, to study the chemistry of life. Amino acids, ATP, biotechnology, carbohydrate, DNA, free energy, lipid, nucleotide, physiology, protein, RNA, and thermodynamics are some of the important terms associated with biochemistry. Having been known as a young science, biochemistry was known as such only since about 1900s. However, the origin of biochemistry can be traced much further back.