Biochemistry

Biochemistry studies the chemical processes within living organisms. The central dogma of molecular biology (DNA → RNA → Protein) describes how genetic information flows — from storage in DNA, to transcription into RNA, to translation into proteins that do the work of the cell. Proteins fold into complex three-dimensional shapes that determine their function — a shape disrupted by mutation causes disease. Key biochemical cycles — the Krebs cycle (energy production from food), glycolysis, fatty acid oxidation — convert food into ATP (adenosine triphosphate), the cell's universal energy currency. Enzyme kinetics, membrane transport, signal transduction, and metabolomics describe how cells sense, communicate, and respond to their environment. The field has enabled the development of virtually all modern medicines.