Biochemistry,
Biochemistry is a branch of science that studies the chemical composition of the structure of living substances and the chemical changes in the life processes of various organisms.
Different biological objects can be divided into plant biochemistry, animal biochemistry, microbiology, biochemistry, biochemistry and biochemistry, insect body tissues or processes, and different aspects of muscle biochemistry, neurochemistry, immunity of research objects. The study of biology, biochemistry, bioenergetics can be divided into different substances, protein chemistry, nucleic acid chemistry, enzymology branch, the study of various natural substances, the study of chemistry and bio-organic chemistry can be divided into various inorganic biology inorganic chemistry or biology Discipline Biology Functional Inorganic Chemistry.
Since the 1960s, the integration of disciplines such as biochemistry - some edge disciplines such as biochemical pharmacology, paleobiochemistry, chemical ecology or applications, medical biochemistry, biochemistry, agriculture, industrial biochemistry, Nutritional Biochemistry.
A brief history of biochemistry
The term biochemistry appeared at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, but its origins go back much further, to an earlier part of history. The early history of physiology and chemistry. For example, in the 1880s, Lavoisier demonstrated respiration, combustion, and oxidation, and almost at the same time, scientists also discovered that photosynthesis is essentially the reverse process of animal respiration. Another example is that Waller in 1828 in the laboratory of the first organic synthesis of raw materials - urea, breaking organic matter can only produce a biological point of view, a major blow to the vitality.
In 1860 Pasteur demonstrated that fermentation was caused by microorganisms, but he believed that yeast was necessary for the cause. The Bruce brothers discovered in 1897 that cell-free extracts from yeast fermented, proving that living cells can also be involved in complex life activities such as fermentation, overthrowing the reign of "vitality".
The development of biochemistry can be roughly divided into three stages.
The first stage, from the late 19th century to the 1930s, was mainly a static description stage, biological isolation, purification, structural identification, synthesis and physical and chemical properties of each part. Fisher structure determination of sugars and amino acids was used to determine the configuration of the sugar and indicate that the protein was connected by abdominal bonds. In 1926 Sumner prepared a crystal of urease and proved that it was a protein.
Four or five years later, Northrop and others crystallized sequential hydrolytic enzyme proteins and noted that they all without exception established the concept that an enzyme is a protein. Discover vitamins and clarify their structures by analyzing food and nutritional research.
At the same time, a less significant role was recognized in the quantity of another type of substance - hormones. Vitamins, which are provided from the outside, are different, and do not depend on the animal itself, and act on their own. During this phase epinephrine, insulin and adrenocortical hormones are released. In addition, Chinese biochemist Wu Xian introduced the concept of protein denaturation in 1931.
In the second stage of the 20th century, between 30 and 50 years old, its main characteristics are changes in biological materials in the body, and the study of metabolic pathways, the so-called dynamic biochemical stage. Outstanding achievements determine glycolysis, citric acid cycle and fat metabolic pathways. A deeper understanding of the key positions of adenosine triphosphate (ATF) in respiration, photosynthesis, and energy conversion.
Of course, the division at this stage is relative. The biosynthetic pathways were recognized much later, in the 1950s and 1960s, and only the amino acid, purine, pyridinophilic and fatty acid biosynthetic pathways were clarified.
The third stage started in the 1950s to study the main characteristics of the structure and function of biological macromolecules. At this stage of development, biochemistry and physiology of the human body, technical sciences, microbiology, genetics, cytology, molecular biology and biochemistry are penetrated.
In addition to water and inorganic salts, organic materials in living cells in biochemistry are mainly composed of a combination of carbon atoms of hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus and sulfur, two types of small molecules and macromolecules. The former includes proteins, nucleic acids, polysaccharides, and lipids in a combined state; the latter includes vitamins, hormones, and metabolic intermediates, as well as amino acids, nucleotides, sugars, fatty acids, and amino acids required for artificially synthesized biological macromolecules. Glycerin, etc. In different organisms, there are a wide variety of secondary metabolites such as terpenes, alkaloids, toxins, and antibiotics.
Although biochemical properties of biometrics are in the early stages of development, it is not until today that the search for new materials continues. Acyclic nucleoside phosphorylases such as interferons have been discovered in calmodulin? Fibronectin, a lectin, has become an important research topic.
Known compounds can also find a new function, L-carnitine was discovered in the 20th century, until the early 1950s, it was known that it was a growth factor, also observed in the 20th century, 60 is a carrier of biological oxidation; 60 is considered to be the decomposition product of putrescine, cadaverine, spermine, spermidine and other polyamines found in various physiological functions, such as participating in the synthesis of nucleic acids and proteins, in Regulating, with a stabilizing effect? Supercoiled DNA, regulation of cell differentiation.
Metabolism anabolism and catabolism. The former is a process in which substances obtained from the environment are converted into new substances in the body, also known as assimilation of organisms, which is the conversion of raw materials into the environment, also known as catabolism in organisms. The process of assimilation and dissimilation proceeds through a series of intermediate steps. Chemical intermediate metabolic pathways.
It is also accompanied by changes in energy metabolism products. The body converts mechanical energy, chemical energy, heat, light, electricity and other energy sources into each other into energy metabolism, and ATP plays a central role in this process. Adjustments control an organism's metabolism in an orderly manner. The vast majority of life adjustment processes are achieved through the allosteric effect.
The different functions of biological macromolecules are closely related to their specific structures. The main functions of proteins are catalysis, transport and storage, machinery and equipment, movement, immune protection, receiving and transmitting information, regulating metabolism and gene expression. Due to the advancement of structural analysis technology, various functions at the molecular level have been in-depth studied, and the movements of protein molecules and the various functions they perform have been studied.
In the early 1980s, proteins could be made by changing the structure of specific regions in the protein molecule? Transforming protein gene. This technology is not only a new method to study the relationship between protein structure and function, but also opens up broad application prospects for the synthesis of new proteins with special functions according to requirements.
The study of the structure and function of nucleic acids is to clarify the nature of genes and to contribute to understanding the flow of genetic information in organisms. The interaction of corresponding pairs of nucleic acid molecules, the main form of which is the information molecule that serves as the basis for the structure of nucleic acids.
Controlled gene expression regulation is a core issue in molecular genetic research and is also an important part of the study of the structure and function of nucleic acids. The understanding of eukaryotic gene expression and regulation of prokaryotic gene expression is explored from different perspectives. Chromatin activation of heterochromatin; conformational changes in DNA and chemical modifications such as enhancers and modulators that regulate DNA sequences regulate processes such as RNA processing and translation.
Carbohydrates of living organisms, including polysaccharides, oligosaccharides and monosaccharides. The structure of polysaccharides, cellulose and chitin, plant and animal substances, starch and glycogen stores nutrients. Simple sugars are the body's main source of energy. The structural and functional importance of oligosaccharides has been known since the 1970s. Oligosaccharides and proteins or lipids can be formed from glycoproteins, proteoglycans, and glycolipids.
Due to the complexity of the structure of sugar chains, they have a large information capacity and play an important role in the specific recognition of some materials by cells and their interactions affecting cell metabolism. From the perspective of development trends? Bundling sugars, proteins, nucleic acids, enzymes, and biochemical research. It is the chemical structure of biological macromolecules that has been determined, and its synthesis can be carried out in the laboratory.
Biological macromolecules and their synthetic analogs will help to understand the relationship between structure and function. Some analogs have higher biological activity and may have applications. The chemical synthesis of artificial gene DNA is obtained in the following ways and can also be used in genetic engineering. The resulting proteins and their analogs have important energy sources.
Enzymes catalyze nearly all chemical reactions in the body. Enzymes function with high catalytic efficiency and specificity. These properties depend on the structure of the enzyme. The relationship between the enzyme reaction kinetics and mechanism of action, and the regulation of activity control the structure and function of the enzyme. There is a very close relationship between enzymes and human life and production activities, enzymes in industry and agriculture? It has received widespread attention in industrial production, defense and medical applications.
Biological membranes are composed of lipids and proteins and generally also contain carbohydrates. Its basic structure can be used in a fluid mosaic model to show the formation of a bilayer membrane of lipid molecules, membrane proteins, lipids, and proteins. varying degrees of interaction and can move laterally. Are biofilms and energy conversion, material and information transfer, cell differentiation and division, nerve conduction, and immune response closely related areas of activity? in biochemical research.
Hormonal metabolism regulator. The endocrine system and the nervous system constitute the two main communication systems of organisms, and there is a close connection between them. Since the 1970s, hormones have been studied within the growth spectrum, and many hormones have been identified whose chemical structures are peptides and steroid hormones. The principles of hormone action are understood to be changes in permeability, activity of some cellular enzymes, but also some effects on gene expression. Vitamins also have an important impact on metabolism and can be divided into two categories, water-soluble and fat-soluble. Prosthetic group, or coenzyme, of most enzymes, biologically and health-related.
Theoretically, millions of organisms on earth have evolved from the same origin and were gradually formed during about 4 billion years of evolution. Biochemistry provided strong evidence for the development of this theory at the molecular level.
Thanks for the development of many biochemical breakthroughs. Since the 1990s, computer technology has widely and rapidly penetrated into various fields of biochemistry, not only so many analytical instruments, the degree of automation and efficiency have been greatly improved, but also for structural analysis of biological macromolecules, protein structure prediction, and The study of the relationship between structure and function provides a new means. Biochemistry will undoubtedly continue to benefit from future developments, innovative technologies and methods.
The profound impact of biochemistry is first reflected in the close relationship between cytology, microbiology, genetics, physiology, and other areas of biology. In-depth research on the structure and function of biological macromolecules has revealed the intoxication produced by biological materials, energy conversion, and many mysterious genetic information transmission, photosynthesis, nerve conduction, muscle contraction, hormone action, cellular immunity and communication. Thus, understanding the nature of life leaps to a new level. It seems that
in subject taxonomy and ecology
biology and biochemistry, as well as the world's food supply, environmental protection and other social issues, from the perspective of biochemistry, population control issues Research needs to be considered. "
Biochemistry, biology and physics, major and complex problems, bridges between previous lives, presented to the world, dominant disciplines, biochemistry, biophysics, quantum physics, physical research, Rich in content and promoting the development of physics and biology
Biochemistry grew up in the practice of medicine, agriculture, industry and defense sectors, and in turn promoted the development of these industries. Practical production.
Shows the power of biological fermentation, food, textile, pharmaceutical, leather industries. Such as tanning, hair removal, silk degumming, cotton size enzymatic process, rather than the old process. , biological products, pharmaceutical and other industries, including antibiotics, organic solvents, organic acids, amino acids, enzymes, hormones, blood products and vaccines, have created huge economic value, especially immobilized enzymes and immobilized cell technology, enzymes promote industrial and Development of the fermentation industry
Reference: Science