What knowledge have you connected with past knowledge?

Biochemistry, by its very definition, bridges together various scientific disciplines.  Put simply: biochemistry bridges the study of the physical science of chemistry that explores the properties, interactions and energy between particles of matter with biology and its studies of living organisms and vital processes.  For a student with a fair amount of studying in both areas, biochemistry offers a chance to reflect and make many connections to concepts learned before, and to see how the scientific disciplines are bridged together, for a more complete understanding.

Thus far in this course, the most prominent high level connection I’ve made goes back to Anatomy and Physiology:  form always follows function.  Throughout our study of Human Anatomy and Physiology this concept is ground into our minds and remains the guiding principle for the study of all systems of the human body, from the high level of body systems, right down to the microscopic human cell.  We and our many parts are designed to carry out tasks in the most efficient manner to ensure the propagation and survival of the human species.  Biochemistry continues our studies with this same guiding principle, but at a closer angle- one that looks microscopically at the human cell and its functions and goes even farther to study the structure and interactions of the molecules that make up human tissue.  We study the structure of the various molecules involved, how they interact with each other and what function that has to human life.

For example, we have looked closely at hydrogen bonds between water molecules.  This is a simple way to view and understand these interactions that we then viewed in a much more complex protein structure.  We learned that these bonds are very important in determining the secondary structure of proteins; they are what hold the protein chain in helical arrangement, or pleated sheets, when the chain doubles back on itself or between two chains.  We have seen that the structure of these proteins is imperative to their function and the misfolding of the chains can cause these molecules to lose basic properties that allow their biological function:  for example they may misfold in a way that disrupts hydrophobic interactions, exposing the hydrophobic portions of the molecule which ultimately causes them to lose their solubility in the aqueous confines of the cell.  Aggregating together, they form a harmful substance, as is the case with the plaques associated with Alzheimer’s Disease.  Thus, hydrogen bonds, hydrophobic interactions and other inter-/intra-molecular interactions at play in the protein structure show a great example of how changing the structure and chemical interaction at the molecular level can have devastating impact on the function of anatomy at the systemic level that is studied in Human Anatomy and Physiology.

Another example of connection through biochemistry topics is that of enzymes.  In general chemistry we learned about catalysis and its effect on the free energy of activation.  In biochemistry, we are taking this chemical knowledge and seeing how it applies to proteins that we studied at a very high level in Anatomy and Physiology: enzymes.  We are now able to see the chemistry behind the enzymatic activity that is so incredibly vital to life processes and understand how and to what extent enzymes catalyze vital reactions.  The chemical structure and interactions at the enzyme active site give us a clear “how” to the process that we only touch upon in A&P.  The chemical structure or form shows us the “how” enzymes work, and the interactions and free energy of activation shows us the “why” these proteins provide the vital functions they do to carry out the processes and reactions of life that would otherwise occur way too slowly.

Through its connection of chemistry and organic chemistry fundamentals with their application to the molecules of life and function, biochemistry shows us how it all comes together, making sense of a multitude of previously introduced concepts.  I look forward to being able to see the rest of the connections that will unfold throughout this course.