Biochemistry and Molecular Biology is a course area, which has contributed hugely to life sciences. To affirm this, some molecules are often recognized as building blocks for cell formation, implying that they are fundamental to the physiology of humans. Biochemistry primarily involves the study of such molecules, and this underlines its input to life studies. Besides, the study of molecular units of inheritance and the transfer of biological information, which clearly defines the central focus of molecular biology, is a critical influence to life science.
A host of topics are covered under the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology course. Such include metabolism and nucleic acids. As the current paper will demonstrate, studying such topics helps in understanding different life science phenomena such as source of life.
The study of metabolism leads one to the understanding that biochemical processes that occur in the body of a human are the source of life. The metabolism topic encompasses the study of biochemical reactions, which involves the combination of oxygen with nutrients resulting to the release of energy needed to ensure normal functionality of the human body. Two basic forms of biochemical reactions take place, and these include catabolism and anabolism.
Catabolism reactions often break food molecules down, thus releasing energy. This energy is then stored within cell molecules called adenosine triphosphate, and, accordingly, used in powering every process at the cellular level of the body. The stored energy is used in anabolism reactions especially to construct molecules making up the body of a human being. Good examples of these include bone tissues and muscles. The adenosine triphosphate molecules play important roles in the body such as supporting muscles movements and associating the non-anabolic cells operations. A form of energy produced as a result of this process is known as heat energy.
However, the energy is not stored within the body. Rather it is disposed of through what is commonly termed as ‘burning of calories’. A calorie is a name used to define a unit of energy consumed through food and physical engagements.
The topic on metabolism also allows an interested person to understand such life issues as weight loss and gain, and fitness. The human body is characterized by either a high, or a low metabolism rate. An individual reported having a high metabolism rate often has a relatively high BMR. BMR is an abbreviation of the term Basal Metabolic Rate, which defines the level of energy that the body should burn in order to keep itself alive, especially when a person is resting and no digestion is taking place. To meet the requirements of the Basal Metabolic Rate, only a portion of calories, which is sufficient enough to ensure that tissues and vital organs function normally, is burned.
While this is the case, physical forms of activities undertaken by the body such as food digestion cannot occur unless the requirements of the Basal Metabolic Rate are met and exceeded. Therefore, a high rate of metabolism is an implication that more calories have to be burned in order to meet energy requirements, which are life-sustaining. As opposed to a high metabolism rate, an individual reported having low metabolism has a relatively low Basal Metabolic Rate.
For tissues and body organs to function normally in low metabolism, a smaller amount of calories has to be burned. It has been established that individuals with a high rate of metabolism often experience a constant weight while those with a low rate tend to increase in mass. This is especially so, given that their caloric consumption surpasses their caloric expenditure.
The study of nucleic acids helps in understanding the transfer of genetic information across generations, which is an essential life science phenomenon. Appearing as big biological molecules, nucleic acids serve as a blueprint for all living organisms. As such, these acids tend to facilitate all other larger structures required for life to replicate itself and function appropriately. Researchers have revealed that nucleotides exist as the primary chemical units in nucleic acids. In the light of this, the nucleotides are DNA’s building blocks. Nucleotides are constituted of three vital elements including nitrogen-containing base, a phosphate sugar and a phosphate group.
Knowledge on nucleic acid assists an individual to acquire an understanding that life is a composition of carbon compounds. As researchers have documented, carbon links up various other elements leading to formation of large and complex molecules. This is an implication that carbon plays a central role in the life, and to a large context, could be thought of as its source. With respect to DNA double helix, amino acids are built as a result of nucleotide sequence coding. Amino acids are vital elements in life, considering that they act as building blocks for nucleic proteins, which makes up a living thing.
Without proteins, it follows that the construction of cells, maintenance and reproduction in humans cannot take place. Structural components associated with life, including cell membranes and tissues, are also made from nucleic proteins. Moreover, enzymes, which play the role of regulating chemical reactions in living things, are other elements made of nucleic proteins. Good accounts of such are nucleases and ligases. In DNA sequencing, the associated bacteria can become infected with phage. However, the presence of these two enzymes provides protection to the bacteria against the infection.
Where phage finds its way into the cell of the bacteria, a phage nucleic acid is formed. However, ligases enzymes act by digesting the infected nucleic acid, thus preventing its spreading. Additionally, when nucleic acid components disintegrate, they are restored to their joint state by these enzymes. As a result, a complete copy of nucleic acid pattern is achieved. In this case, the ligases enzymes facilitate the replication of DNA. Beyond this, the enzymes play a vital role in repairing DNA and recombination of genetics.
Therefore, as the above discussion has revealed, a biochemistry and molecular biology course is very essential for understanding life science phenomena such as the source of life. As it has been demonstrated, a set of topics is often covered in the course including nucleic acids and metabolism.
Through these topics, one is allowed to understand the body processes, which in their absence, life cannot be sustained. In this regard, biochemistry and molecular biology provides an in-depth understanding of the chemical and molecular processes that ensure the being of life. Where adequate understanding of biochemistry and molecular biology is far-reaching, the possibility of recognizing the driving forces, which influence or facilitate the being of essential cellular processes, could be extremely low. Therefore, it is worthwhile to inform that biochemistry and molecular biology are fundamental to life sciences.