Three Major Themes of Biochemistry

I would identify proteins, DNA and cellular energy as the three major themes of this course. Proteins encompass chapters 3-8 including amino acids, enzymes, and enzyme mechanisms. The DNA topics include nucleic acid structure, replication, transcription and translation. Cellular energy topics include thermodynamics, carbohydrates, glycolosis, citric acid cycle, lipid metabolism, electron transport, oxidation and phosphorylation. All of the topics are interelated. Enzymes affect DNA through direction of translation and transcription, methylation and cleavage. Enzymes direct the various processes of metabolism such as isomerization, phosphorylation and oxidation. Although I had an overview of the larger processes involved I did not have an understanding of the cellular level. I have learned where these processes occur, the multitude of steps involved, and how the intricacies of these processes disease happens.