If we break down the word “biochemistry” we get “bio” and “chemistry.” Biochemistry is the beautiful fusion of biology and chemistry. It is the study of the reactions that happen in the body and the molecules that contribute to those reactions and our bodies. More specifically, it is used to study the structure of molecules in the body, mechanisms that cause certain reactions to occur in the body, and how to manipulate those pathways to cause certain outcomes in the body. 

I found my way to biochemistry in college. Throughout middle and high school, I gravitated towards biology. I took AP chemistry my sophomore year of high school, but that was the most interaction I had had with chemistry. I took many biology and anatomy classes in high school, so I was always more interested in that. I came to college with the intention of continuing that interest and being a Biology major. 

I noticed the Biochemistry majors in college right away. I thought they were so smart, and I wanted to be one of them. But I couldn’t. The classes would be too hard for me. I couldn’t take that kind of academic risk and challenge myself.

Orgo and Bio III ended up being two of my favorite classes. I knew I had to get over my fear of not performing to my unrealistic expectations to follow what I found truly interesting – biochemistry. 

Biochemistry fascinates me because it is so cool that those tiny reactions occurring in the body allow us to live. One small change in DNA can cause a protein to be non-functional and shut down the entire organism. That’s powerful stuff. Being able to understand the inner workings of the body is important to me. Not everyone knows what happens in their body to let them live and shape their existence. 

As an aspiring physician, I hope to use my knowledge of the inner workings of the human body to help others understand their bodies, as well. It’s kind of crazy to me that everyone is intimately connected to biochemistry, but most people know nothing about it. Most people have no idea what’s going on inside their bodies that affects every aspect of their day. I want to demystify that for people and show them how cool and important biochemistry is to understanding ourselves. 

It can be frustrating for people to get diagnosed with a disease and not understand what is happening to them. I want to help people understand what is happening. They have every right to fully understand why they feel the way they do in a way that is easy for them to understand. I want to play the role of a science translator for patients.

I have sat in class and learned about glycolysis, DNA replication, transcription, and translation since grade school. They’re just processes written in a book for teachers to antagonize students by forcing them to memorize every single step and molecule for no apparent reason. It’s more than that, though. It’s easy to think that these processes don’t affect you because they’re just pages of a book and a nuisance to memorize, but they are giving you life and making you who you are. The textbooks are alive inside of us. As I’m learning about the electron transport chain in class, it’s happening inside my body. How cool?! 

Even more fascinating is how much we don’t know about the body! There are more mechanisms to discover in different species and different inhibitors and drug therapies to study in those mechanisms as they’re discovered. The field of biochemistry is responsible for figuring out the causes of diseases and ways to treat and/or fix them. That is a powerful responsibility as it affects people’s lives directly. Everyone is benefitted by the field of biochemistry.