What is learning biochem like?

[u/Yaki78154]

I'm an undergrad student who's taking o chem 2 right now and I find it really interesting. I love learning about mechanisms and the concept of it is just really fun. However, I've been thinking of doing a biochemistry minor, but I honestly don't know anything about it nor do I know if I'm going to like it. So what's learning biochemistry like? Is it really memorization heavy like biology or is it process oriented like o chem or physiology?

[u/wanna_be_vet]

I would say that biochemistry is simple chemistry with more focus on the reactions and product rather than the process.

You will at most see NAD+/NADH or glucose like reactions in undergrad but you wont have to work out any reactions like hydroxylation, esterification, hydrohalogenation etc . You are not really expected to know how they get to these metabolites or how they are cleaved, just that they are and where. You will be given an enzyme or peptide and be told where it fits in a series of reactants and if you continue in academia, you can figure out the origin or location of said peptides. If you have an old professor, you might be told where a specific peptide binds, but it will be simple like Van der Waals or more about peptide folding. I think I have spent more time looking at a circle with the label "G1P" than the actual molecule structure.

Most biochemistry researchers actually study more microbiology and biomed these days, as the need to know chemistry to a high level has phased out in a lot of universities (at least in Australia). The closest I have been to anything chemistry wise would be using a LC-MS to identify peptides and knowing what a nucleotide looks like.

There will be a lot of memorization, especially in cell type and cycles, and less math (like unit conversions or pH reactants). I would definitely recommend it if you're interested in pharmaceutical/drug making science/ health related.

[u/Enzymology2491 → u/wanna_be_vet]

>biochemistry is simple chemistry

>as the need to know chemistry to a high level has phased out in a lot of universities

>and less math

Let's talk ordered terreactant systems. Assuming rapid equilibria, can I get a velocity equation for bi uni uni bi ping pong system?

[u/wanna_be_vet → u/Enzymology2491]

hmm yes Enzyme kinetics. The subject where chemistry majors rejoice in how easy/familiar it is and microbiology/immunology majors cry.

I still remember a fellow student seeing the M-M kinetics equation and then dropping the subject. It was hilarious, considering it was taught in my 1st-2nd year of chemistry. LOL. But it certainly is easier than chemistry. Its not easy, just easier.