Introduction to Physiological and Pathological Chemistry

Overview

• Discussion topics:
  • Definition of biochemistry
  • Breakthrough in biochemistry
  • Relevance of medical biochemistry to other life sciences
  • Branches of biochemistry

Objectives

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

• Define medical biochemistry
• Mention one major breakthrough in biochemistry
• Explain the relevance of biochemistry to nursing, medicine, and other biological sciences
• Describe different branches of biochemistry

Definition of Biochemistry

• Biochemistry: Study of chemical processes in living organisms.
  • Application of chemistry to biological processes.
  • Combination of life science and physical science.

Medical Biochemistry

• Definition: A branch of general biochemistry focused on biochemical processes in the human body related to medicine.
• Importance:
  • Understanding complex chemical reactions (e.g., endocrine balance, glucose utilization).
  • Medical applications in fighting infections and diseases at the molecular level.

Breakthroughs in Biochemistry

• Key Historical Breakthrough: Discovery of the structure of DNA in 1953 by James Watson and Francis Crick.
  • Genetic information transfer was poorly understood before this.
• Contributors to DNA Discovery:
  • Frederick Miescher: First identified nucleic acid in the late 1860s.
  • Phoebus Levene: Investigated nucleotide structure and components.
  • Erwin Chargaff: Formulated Chargaff's rule regarding purines and pyrimidines in DNA.
• Human Genome Project:
  • Completed in 2003, mapped the human genome.
  • Provided access to genetic information for medical applications.

Relevance of Medical Biochemistry

• Foundation for other life sciences:
  • Nursing, Pharmacy, Zoology, Microbiology, etc.
• Contributions:
  • Discovery of new drugs for chronic diseases (cancer, viral infections, metabolic disorders).

Branches of Medical Biochemistry

1. Toxicology: Studies adverse effects of toxic substances; includes environmental and food toxicology.
2. Enzymology: Study of enzymes, their functions, and deficiencies.
3. Molecular Biology and Biotechnology: Evolved from DNA discovery; manipulation of DNA for drug research and health problem-solving.
4. Lipid and Carbohydrate Chemistry: Studies biochemical bases of metabolic disorders (e.g., diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular diseases).
5. Natural Product Biochemistry: Focuses on finding new drugs from plants; explores natural products for therapeutic uses.

Conclusion

• The lecture provided an introductory overview of biochemistry and its applications in medicine and other sciences.
• Future lectures will build on these foundations.