Biochemistry Courses

All Subjects > Chemistry > Biochemistry

Find free online biochemistry courses from top universities.

What is Biochemistry?

The biochemistry definition is the study and understanding of chemical processes within and relating to living organisms. Biochemistry (also known as biological chemistry) focuses on biomedical research processes that happen at a molecular level which include what happens inside our cells, studying proteins, and organelles. The field also explores the relationship between how cells communicate with each other during growth and illness fighting within the human body.

What Types of Molecules do Biochemists Study?

The study of biochemistry and molecular biology includes carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids. Most of the research and analysis is performed in state-of-the-art facilities and labs via massive amounts of data.

What are Biochemistry Examples?

In today's age, you may be using products that are a direct relation of biochemistry without even realizing it. For example, you may use an artificial sweetener in your morning coffee to add a kick to your drink. That artificial sweetener is a byproduct of biochemistry that someone studied to combine elements. Any food additive for that measure is also from biochemistry.

What is Biochemistry Used For?

As a biochemist, your role of work in the field include studying the chemical process, heredity, and cell development in living organisms. The goal of a biochemist is to improve the quality of life for people by understanding living organisms at the molecular level. Part of daily life as a biochemist includes conducting research, preparing technical reports, and presenting research findings to different stakeholders.

Jobs and Careers as a Biochemist

A search for biochemistry in Glassdoor yields 15k in available roles. Some common job titles that appear on Glassdoor include being a Research Associate, Senior Research Associate, Research Scientist, and more. The average base salary for someone in the field as a biochemist comes out to 68k in Glassdoor. Biochemists work in many different types of places including hospitals, universities, cosmetics, drug discovery, agriculture, and more.

Online Courses for Biochemistry

Here at edX, we offer a wide range of courses to best suit your needs and desires. Whether you are new and are looking for biochemistry basics or advanced problem-solving biochemistry skills, we have something for you. In our courses, you will learn about the Krebs life cycle, ATP, cell biology, life sciences, molecular structures, small molecules, organic chemistry, amino acids, and more living things that make up the study of biochemistry.

Example Biochemistry Course from Harvard via the Principles

If you are looking for a course that will take a few hours each week to complete, Harvard has a program designed for you. In this class, you will learn the structure and function of chemical building blocks of life and how to navigate protein structures using PyMoll. You will also discover the central role of enzymes in catalyzing the reactions of life and the primary metabolic pathways that power cell and the integration of biochemical processes. You will also learn about natural sciences and problem-solving techniques in Biochemistry. This course instructors of this program are Alain Viel and Rachelle Gaudet.

Famous People in Biochemistry

The Nobel Prize in biochemistry in 2017 was awarded to Jacques Dubochet, Joachim Frank and Richard Henderson for their development in microscopy. Specifically, they were awarded the prize due to their growth of cryo-electron microscopy which helped improve the imagery of biochemistry. With the advancement in this imagery, we have moved to a new era of biochemistry. Other famous people who studied or helped shape biological sciences today include Paul Karrer, Isaac Asimov, Linus Pauling, Friedrich Wöhler, Casimir Funk, Robert Huber, Frederick Sanger, and many others.