Hospital patients and their relatives are often interested in what biochemistry is. This word can be used in two meanings: as science and as a designation for a biochemical blood test. Let's look at each of them.
Biochemistry as a science
Biological or physiological chemistry - biochemistry is a science that studies the chemical composition of the cells of any living organisms. In the course of its study, the patterns in accordance with which all chemical reactions occur in living tissues that ensure the vital functions of organisms are also examined.
Scientific disciplines related to biochemistry are molecular biology, organic chemistry, cell biology, etc. The word “biochemistry” can be used, for example, in the sentence: “Biochemistry as a separate science was formed approximately 100 years ago.”
But you can learn more about similar science if you read our article.
Blood biochemistry
A biochemical blood test involves a laboratory study of various indicators in the blood, tests are taken from a vein (the process of venipuncture). Based on the results of the study, it is possible to assess the condition of the body, and specifically its organs and systems. More information about this analysis can be found in our section.
Thanks to blood biochemistry, you can find out how the kidneys, liver, heart work, as well as determine the rheumatic factor, water-salt balance, etc.
Blood biochemistry is one of the most common and informative tests that doctors prescribe when diagnosing most diseases. Seeing its results, one can judge the state of operation of all body systems. Almost every disease is reflected in the indicators of a biochemical blood test.
What you need to know
Blood is taken from a vein on the elbow, less often from veins on the hand and
forearm.
About 5-10 ml of blood is drawn into the syringe.
Later, the blood for biochemistry in a special test tube is placed in a specialized device that has the ability to determine the necessary indicators with high accuracy. It should be borne in mind that different devices may have slightly different normal limits for certain indicators. The results will be ready within a day using the express method.
How to prepare
Biochemical research is carried out in the morning on an empty stomach.
Before donating blood, you must refrain from drinking alcohol for 24 hours.
The last meal should be the night before, no later than 18.00. Do not smoke two hours before the test. Also avoid intense physical activity and, if possible, stress. Preparing for analysis is a responsible process.
What is included in biochemistry
There are basic and advanced biochemistry. It is not practical to define every indicator possible. It goes without saying that the price and quantity of blood required for analysis increases. There is a certain conditional list of basic indicators that are almost always assigned, and there are many additional ones. They are prescribed by a doctor depending on the clinical symptoms and purpose of the study.
The analysis is done using a biochemical analyzer, into which test tubes with blood are placed
Basic indicators:
- Total protein.
- Bilirubin (direct and indirect).
- Glucose.
- ALT and AST.
- Creatinine.
- Urea.
- Electrolytes.
- Cholesterol.
Additional indicators:
- Albumen.
- Amylase.
- Alkaline phosphatase.
- GGTP.
- Triglycerides.
- C-reactive protein.
- Rheumatoid factor.
- Creatinine phosphokinase.
- Myoglobin.
- Iron.
The list is incomplete; there are many more highly targeted indicators for diagnosing metabolism and dysfunctions of internal organs. Now let's look at some of the most common biochemical blood parameters in more detail.
Total protein (65-85 grams/liter)
Displays the total amount of protein in the blood plasma (both albumin and globulin).
It may be increased with dehydration, due to loss of water due to repeated vomiting, intense sweating, intestinal obstruction and peritonitis. It also increases in myeloma and polyarthritis.
This indicator decreases with prolonged fasting and malnutrition, diseases of the stomach and intestines, when the supply of protein is disrupted. In liver diseases, its synthesis is disrupted. Protein synthesis is also impaired in some hereditary diseases.
Albumin (40-50 grams/liter)
One of the plasma protein fractions. With a decrease in albumin, edema develops, up to anasarca. This is due to the fact that albumin binds water. When it decreases significantly, water is no longer retained in the bloodstream and enters the tissues.
Albumin is reduced in the same conditions as total protein.
Total bilirubin (5-21 µmol/liter)
Total bilirubin includes direct and indirect.
All reasons for increased total bilirubin can be divided into several groups.
Extrahepatic - various anemias, extensive hemorrhages, that is, conditions accompanied by the destruction of red blood cells.
Hepatic causes are associated with the destruction of hepatocytes (liver cells) in oncology, hepatitis, and cirrhosis of the liver.
Impaired outflow of bile due to obstruction of the bile ducts by stones or tumor.
With increased bilirubin, jaundice develops, the skin and mucous membranes become jaundiced.
The normal level of direct bilirubin is up to 7.9 µmol/liter. Indirect bilirubin is determined by the difference between total and direct. Most often, its increase is associated with the breakdown of red blood cells.
Creatinine (80-115 µmol/liter)
One of the main indicators characterizing kidney function.
This indicator increases in acute and chronic kidney diseases. Also with increased destruction of muscle tissue, for example, with rhabdomyolysis after extremely intense physical activity. May be increased in case of disease of the endocrine glands (hyperfunction of the thyroid gland, acromegaly). If a person eats a large amount of meat products, increased creatinine is also guaranteed.
Creatinine below normal has no special diagnostic value. May be reduced in vegetarians and in pregnant women in the first half of pregnancy.
Urea (2.1-8.2 mmol/liter)
Shows the state of protein metabolism. Characterizes the functioning of the kidneys and liver. An increase in urea in the blood can occur when kidney function is impaired, when they cannot cope with its removal from the body. Also with increased breakdown of proteins or increased intake of protein into the body from food.
A decrease in urea in the blood is observed in the third trimester of pregnancy, with a low-protein diet and severe liver disease.
Transaminases (ALT, AST, GGT)
Aspartate aminotransferase (AST)- an enzyme synthesized in the liver. In blood plasma, its content should not normally exceed 37 U/liter in men and 31 U/liter in women.
Alanine aminotransferase (ALT)– just like the AST enzyme, it is synthesized in the liver.
The normal blood level in men is up to 45 units/liter, in women – up to 34 units/liter.
In addition to the liver, a large number of transaminases are found in the cells of the heart, spleen, kidneys, pancreas, and muscles. An increase in its level is associated with the destruction of cells and the release of this enzyme into the blood. Thus, an increase in ALT and AST is possible with pathology of all of the above organs, accompanied by cell death (hepatitis, myocardial infarction, pancreatitis, necrosis of the kidney and spleen).
Gamma-Glutamyltransferase (GGT) participates in the metabolism of amino acids in the liver. Its content in the blood increases with toxic liver damage, including alcohol. The level is also increased in pathologies of the biliary tract and liver. Always increases with chronic alcoholism.
The norm for this indicator is up to 32 U/liter for men, up to 49 U/liter for women.
A low GGT level is usually detected in liver cirrhosis.
Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) (120-240 units/liter)
This enzyme is found in all tissues of the body and is involved in the energy processes of glucose and lactic acid oxidation.
Increased in diseases of the liver (hepatitis, cirrhosis), heart (heart attack), lungs (heart attack-pneumonia), kidneys (various nephritis), pancreas (pancreatitis).
A decrease in LDH activity below normal is diagnostically insignificant.
Amylase (3.3-8.9)
Alpha amylase (α-amylase) is involved in carbohydrate metabolism, breaking down complex sugars into simple ones.
Acute hepatitis, pancreatitis, and mumps increase enzyme activity. Certain medications (glucocorticoids, tetracycline) may also have an effect.
Amylase activity is reduced in pancreatic dysfunction and toxicosis of pregnant women.
Pancreatic amylase (p-amylase) is synthesized in the pancreas and enters the intestinal lumen, where the excess is almost completely dissolved by trypsin. Normally, only a small amount enters the blood, where the normal rate in adults is no more than 50 units/liter.
Its activity is increased in acute pancreatitis. It can also be increased when taking alcohol and certain medications, as well as in surgical pathology complicated by peritonitis. A decrease in amylase is an unfavorable sign of the pancreas losing its function.
Total cholesterol (3.6-5.2 mmol/l)
On the one hand, it is an important component of all cells and an integral part of many enzymes. On the other hand, it plays an important role in the development of systemic atherosclerosis.
Total cholesterol includes high, low and very low density lipoproteins. Cholesterol is increased in atherosclerosis, dysfunction of the liver, thyroid gland, and obesity.
Atherosclerotic plaque in a vessel is a consequence of high cholesterol
Cholesterol is reduced with a diet that excludes fats, with hyperfunction of the thyroid gland, with infectious diseases and sepsis.
Glucose (4.1-5.9 mmol/liter)
An important indicator of the state of carbohydrate metabolism and the state of the pancreas.
Increased glucose can occur after eating, so the analysis is taken strictly on an empty stomach. It also increases when taking certain medications (glucocorticosteroids, thyroid hormones), and with pancreatic pathology. Constantly elevated blood sugar is the main diagnostic criterion for diabetes mellitus.
Low sugar can occur due to acute infection, fasting, or an overdose of sugar-lowering drugs.
Electrolytes (K, Na, Cl, Mg)
Electrolytes play an important role in the system of transport of substances and energy into the cell and back. This is especially important for the proper functioning of the heart muscle.
Changes both in the direction of increasing and decreasing concentrations lead to disturbances in heart rhythm, even to cardiac arrest.
Electrolyte standards:
- Potassium (K+) – 3.5-5.1 mmol/liter.
- Sodium (Na+) – 139-155 mmol/liter.
- Calcium (Ca++) – 1.17-1.29 mmol/liter.
- Chlorine (Cl-) – 98-107 mmol/liter.
- Magnesium (Mg++) – 0.66-1.07 mmol/liter.
Changes in electrolyte balance are associated with nutritional reasons (impaired intake into the body), impaired renal function, and hormonal diseases. Also, pronounced electrolyte disturbances can occur with diarrhea, uncontrollable vomiting, and hyperthermia.
Three days before donating blood for biochemistry to determine magnesium, you must not take magnesium medications.
In addition, there are a large number of biochemical indicators that are prescribed individually for specific diseases. Before donating blood, your doctor will determine which specific indicators are taken in your situation. The procedural nurse will draw blood, and the laboratory doctor will provide a transcript of the analysis. Normal values are given for an adult. For children and the elderly they may differ slightly.
As you can see, a biochemical blood test is a very great aid in diagnosis, but only a doctor can compare the results with the clinical picture.
Biological chemistry - one of the fundamental theoretical sciences that studies the composition, structure and properties of chemical compounds that form living systems, as well as their interaction and interconversion during metabolism.
Biochemistry - studies the chemical substances that make up organisms, their structure, distribution, transformations and functions. The first synthesis of a natural substance - urea (F. Wöhler, 1828) was of fundamental importance for the development of biochemistry, which undermined the idea of \u200b\u200bthe “vital force” supposedly involved in the synthesis of various substances by the body. Using the achievements of general, analytical and organic chemistry, biochemistry in the 19th century. formed into an independent science.
Biochemistry is a science that deals with the study of various molecules, chemical reactions and processes occurring in living cells and organisms.
Biochemistry, as the name suggests (from the Greek bios - life), is the chemistry of life, or, more strictly, the science of the chemical bases of life processes.
Initially, questions of biochemistry were studied from different angles by organic chemistry and physiology.
Historical background for the development of biochemistry.
In its general scientific form, biochemistry appeared in ancient times (Avicenna, Hippocrates).
XVI-XVII centuries – the views of alchemists were further developed in the works of iatrochemists (from the Greek. iatros-doctor). T. Paracelsus put forward a very progressive position about the close connection of chemistry with medicine.
Vitalism is the doctrine of animal force, which is based on the thesis “living things are qualitatively different from non-living things.”
XVII-XVIII centuries – discovery of the law of conservation of matter, photosynthesis; Data have appeared proving the unity of the living and inanimate world. They isolated urea, organic acids, alcohols, and cholesterol from living things - the final refutation of vitalism.
sec. floor. XVIII century Spallanzani - studies of the physiology of digestion - the beginning of the study of enzymes of digestive juices.
1814 – K.S. Kirchhoff described the enzymatic process of starch saccharification under the influence of an extract from sprouted barley seeds.
1828 – F. Wöhler synthesized urea in laboratory conditions, proving the unity of living and inanimate nature (matter).
1828 is the year of birth of biochemistry.
1839 - J. Liebig discovered that food contains proteins, fats and carbohydrates.
1842 – the first biochemistry textbook by I. Zimon.
1845 – A. Kolbe – synthesized acetic acid.
1847 – textbook of biochemistry by J. Liebig; textbook of physiological chemistry A.I. Khodneva.
ser. XIX century enzymes found: salivary amylase, gastric juice pepsin, pancreatic juice trypsin; J. Berzelius introduced the concept of catalysis and catalysts into chemistry.
1854 – M. Berthelot – synthesized fats.
1861 – A.M. Butlerov - synthesized carbohydrates.
1863 – at Kazan (organizer of the department A.Ya. Danilevsky) and Moscow (organizer - A.D. Bulyginsky) universities, biochemistry is taught as a science.
1869 – discovery of DNA (Miller).
L. Pasteur - study of fermentation.
1871 – M.M. Manasseina and E. Buchner (1897) proved the ability of cell-free yeast juice to cause alcoholic fermentation.
1880 – vitamins (Lunin).
1892 – the Department of Physiological Chemistry began to function at the Military Medical (Medical-Surgical) Academy in St. Petersburg (A.Ya. Danilevsky headed the department).
XX century - the blossoming of biochemistry. Peptide synthesis (Fisher). Carbohydrate, protein and lipid metabolisms have been studied (basics of biochemistry). The ATP molecule is discovered. Enzymes are isolated (enzymology). Crushing biochemistry.
1931 – Engelhardt – study of the process of oxidative phosphorylation (development of bioenergy).
1953 - Watson and Crick - study of the secondary structure of DNA (the development of molecular biology, in the 70s, on its basis, the development of genetic engineering).
Modern biochemistry as an independent science emerged at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries.
b. XX – n. XXI – modern stage of biochemistry.
Reasons for distinguishing biochemistry as an independent science:
advances in the study of natural compounds;
the needs of medical practice;
widespread use of modern methods of biochemical analysis.
8.2. What biochemistry studies and what is the subject of research, areas of research.
Depending on the object of study, biochemistry is conventionally divided into biochemistry of humans and animals, biochemistry of plants and microorganisms. Despite the biochemical unity of all living things, there are fundamental differences in animal and plant organisms, primarily in the nature of metabolism. In animals, the manifestations of vital activity and the synthesis of substances that make up the body are ensured by chemical energy released during the breakdown or oxidation of complex organic compounds. Plants that do not use organic substances for their vital functions are called autotrophic organisms, while animals are heterotrophic organisms. Among microorganisms there are both autotrophic and heterotrophic types of metabolism. In addition, microorganisms are characterized by the presence of chemicals and reactions not found in animals and plants.
Areas of study
Biochemistry deals with the study of chemical reactions occurring in microorganisms, plants, insects, fish, birds, lower and higher mammals, and in particular humans. For students of biomedical sciences, the last two sections are of particular interest.
The main directions of development of research in the field of biological chemistry (horizons of biochemistry) for the near and distant future.
Differentiation of cells of higher organisms (eukaryotes).
Organization and mechanism of genome functioning.
Regulation of enzyme action and the theory of enzymatic catalysis.
Recognition processes at the molecular level.
Molecular basis of somatic and hereditary human diseases.
Molecular basis of malignant growth.
Molecular basis of immunity.
Balanced diet.
Molecular mechanisms of memory.
Protein biosynthesis
Biological membranes and bioenergy.
The main purpose of biochemistry is to solve fundamental, general biological problems at the molecular level, including the problem of human dependence on the ecosystem, which must not only be understood, but also protected and learned to use wisely.
BIOCHEMISTRY
a science that describes the structure and functions of living organisms in the language of chemistry. Biochemical concepts find applications in medicine, food, pharmaceutical and microbiological industries, agriculture, and in the processing industries using agricultural wastes and by-products.
Areas of research. Several stages and directions can be distinguished in the development of biochemistry.
Types of organic compounds and their structure. Of fundamental importance was the compilation of a list of organic compounds found in living organisms and the establishment of the structure of each of them. This list includes relatively simple compounds - amino acids, sugars and fatty acids, then more complex ones - pigments (which give color to flowers, for example), vitamins and coenzymes (non-protein components of enzymes), and ends with giant molecules of proteins and nucleic acids.
Metabolic pathways. Apparently, the most significant advances in biochemistry are associated with elucidating the pathways of biosynthesis of natural compounds from simpler substances, i.e. from food components in animals and from carbon dioxide and minerals (during photosynthesis) in plants. Biochemists have been able to study in detail the main metabolic pathways that ensure the synthesis and breakdown of natural compounds in animals, plants and microorganisms (in particular, bacteria).
Structure and functions of macromolecules. The third direction of biochemistry is associated with the analysis of the relationship between the structure and function of biological macromolecules. Thus, biochemists are trying to understand what structural features of protein catalysts underlie their specificity, i.e. the ability to accelerate strictly defined reactions; how complex polysaccharides that make up cell walls and membranes perform their functions; How complex lipids present in nervous tissue participate in the functioning of nerve cells - neurons.
Functioning of cells. Another problem that biochemists are dealing with is uncovering the mechanisms of functioning of specialized cells. For example, the following questions are studied: how muscle cells contract, how certain cells form bone tissue, how red blood cells transfer oxygen from the lungs to tissues and take carbon dioxide from tissues, what is the mechanism of pigment synthesis in plant cells, etc.
Genetic aspects. Research beginning in the 1940s on fungi and bacteria and later on higher organisms, including humans, has shown that gene mutations typically cause certain biochemical reactions in cells to stop occurring. These observations led to the creation of the concept of the gene as an information unit responsible for the synthesis of a specific protein. If a protein is an enzyme, and the gene encoding it has undergone a mutation (i.e., changed), then the cell loses the ability to carry out the reaction that this enzyme should catalyze. A gene is a specific segment of a deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) molecule that is capable of replicating (reproducing itself) and is responsible for the synthesis of a specific protein. Many biochemical studies are aimed at elucidating the details of nucleic acid replication and the mechanism of protein synthesis, and are therefore closely related to genetics. The field of study, which lies in the fields of both biochemistry and genetics, is usually called molecular biology. The Human Genome Project is a grandiose international project in the field of molecular biology and genetics, in which teams of scientists from many countries take part. The goal of the project is to construct genetic maps of the 23 human chromosomes with precise indications of the positions of all tens of thousands of genes on these chromosomes and ultimately determine the structure of the chromosomes, i.e. sequence of approximately 3 billion nitrogen base pairs that make up chromosomal DNA. These studies will create a database accessible to all scientists that is of great value for the study of human genetics, and most importantly, will help biochemists uncover the mechanisms of hereditary diseases.
Medical biochemistry. Every year, an increasing number of diseases can be associated with certain metabolic disorders. The joint efforts of biochemists and doctors have made it possible to uncover the nature of the disorders underlying diseases such as diabetes mellitus and sickle cell anemia. In more than 800 cases, a correlation has been established between metabolic disorders and genetic defects, and in some cases, methods have been found that can mitigate the consequences of the disease. Non-genetic factors also play an important role in eliminating pathological conditions. For example, determining the salt composition and acid-base balance of blood plasma makes it possible to avoid shock or dehydration during extensive surgical interventions, and to successfully combat uncontrollable vomiting, diarrhea in infants and other diseases.
See also:
BIOPHYSICS;
CELL ;
ENZYMES;
GENETIC COUNSELING ;
GENETIC ENGINEERING ;
METABOLISM;
NUCLEIC ACIDS ;
PHOTOSYNTHESIS;
PROTEINS.
LITERATURE
Strayer L. Biochemistry, vols. 1-3. M., 1985 Leninger A. Fundamentals of biochemistry, vol. 1-3. M., 1985 Goodwin T., Mercer E. Introduction to plant biochemistry, vol. 1-2. M., 1986 Murray R., Grenner D., Mayes P., Rodwell V. Human biochemistry, vol. 1-2. M., 1993
Collier's Encyclopedia. - Open Society. 2000 .
Synonyms:See what "BIOCHEMISTRY" is in other dictionaries:
Biochemistry… Spelling dictionary-reference book
Modern encyclopedia
Biochemistry- BIOCHEMISTRY, the science of the chemical substances that make up organisms, their structure, distribution, transformations and functions, as well as the chemical processes underlying life activity. Man received his first information on biochemistry in the process... Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary
- (Greek). The doctrine of the exchange of matter in living bodies. Dictionary of foreign words included in the Russian language. Chudinov A.N., 1910. BIOCHEMISTRY is the doctrine of the exchange of matter in living beings. A complete dictionary of foreign words that came into use in... ... Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language
The science that studies the composition and chemical processes occurring in living organisms. Biochemistry plays a significant role in understanding the patterns of energy flow and the cycle of substances in ecosystems, their biological productivity, biogeochemical... ... Ecological dictionary
Studies the chemical substances that make up organisms, their structure, distribution, transformations and functions. The first information on biochemistry is related to human economic activity (processing of plant and animal raw materials, use... ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary
Biological chemistry, the science of chemistry. composition of living matter and chemical processes occurring in living organisms and underlying their life activity. B. is composed of static B., which is primarily concerned with chemical analysis. composition... ... Biological encyclopedic dictionary
BIOCHEMISTRY, the science of the chemistry of living organisms. Uses methods of organic and physical chemistry to study life processes. Biochemists study the structure and properties of all components of living matter (FATS, PROTEINS, enzymes, HORMONES, VITAMINS, DNA,... ... Scientific and technical encyclopedic dictionary
Noun, number of synonyms: 3 biology (73) neurochemistry (1) enzymology (2) ... Synonym dictionary
biochemistry- - Topics of biotechnology EN biochemistry ... Technical Translator's Guide
biochemistry- biological chemistry biol., chemical... Dictionary of abbreviations and abbreviations
Books
- Biochemistry, L. Strayer, The book by a scientist from the USA examines the main problems of biochemistry and molecular biology at the most modern scientific level. The second volume examines the processes of generation, transformation and... Category: Mathematics and science Series: Publisher: YOYO Media,
Biochemistry is a whole science that studies, firstly, the chemical composition of cells and organisms, and secondly, the chemical processes that underlie their life activity. The term was introduced into the scientific community in 1903 by a German chemist named Karl Neuberg.
However, the processes of biochemistry themselves have been known since ancient times. And on the basis of these processes, people baked bread and made cheese, made wine and tanned animal skins, treated diseases with the help of herbs, and then medicines. And the basis of all this is precisely biochemical processes.
For example, without knowing anything about science itself, the Arab scientist and physician Avicenna, who lived in the 10th century, described many medicinal substances and their effects on the body. And Leonardo da Vinci concluded that a living organism can only live in an atmosphere in which a flame can burn.
Like any other science, biochemistry has its own methods of research and study. And the most important of them are chromatography, centrifugation and electrophoresis.
Biochemistry today is a science that has made a big leap in its development. For example, it became known that of all the chemical elements on earth, a little more than a quarter is present in the human body. And most of the rare elements, except iodine and selenium, are completely unnecessary for humans to maintain life. But two common elements such as aluminum and titanium have not yet been found in the human body. And it is simply impossible to find them - they are not needed for life. And among all of them, only 6 are those that a person needs every day and it is from them that 99% of our body consists. These are carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, calcium and phosphorus.
Biochemistry is a science that studies such important components of foods as proteins, fats, carbohydrates and nucleic acids. Today we know almost everything about these substances.
Some people confuse two sciences - biochemistry and organic chemistry. But biochemistry is a science that studies biological processes that occur only in a living organism. But organic chemistry is a science that studies certain carbon compounds, and these include alcohols, ethers, aldehydes and many, many other compounds.
Biochemistry is also a science that includes cytology, that is, the study of a living cell, its structure, functioning, reproduction, aging and death. This branch of biochemistry is often called molecular biology.
However, molecular biology, as a rule, works with nucleic acids, but biochemists are more interested in proteins and enzymes that trigger certain biochemical reactions.
Today, biochemistry is increasingly using the developments of genetic engineering and biotechnology. However, in themselves, these are also different sciences, which each study their own. For example, biotechnology is studying methods of cloning cells, and genetic engineering is trying to find ways to replace a diseased gene in the human body with a healthy one and thereby avoid the development of many hereditary diseases.
And all these sciences are closely interconnected, which helps them develop and work for the benefit of humanity.