Biochemistry...how much does it tie in with Organic?

[tuffguy13]

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To any of you who has taken biochemistry, I was wondering how much does it tie in with Organic Chemistry 1?

I took Organic 1 SEVERAL years ago and I don't remember much; I plan to retake it very soon but I wanted to get Biochem in as a summer course. I just don't want to set myself up for failure if understanding Organic Chemistry is a huge necessity. I just wanted to know if Organic and Biochem are more closely tied together than Inorganic I, II and Organic.

Side note: The class is the basic biochemistry without lab.

 

[slight365]

IMO, it ties in a lot, but not in the exact reactions, but behavior of atoms and molecules, especially in solution. IMO, if you can master the first four chapters or so of organic 1, it gives you a great basis to understand biochemistry and predict reactions in later organic chapters, as well as biochem.

 

[DitchDoc73]

I felt that there wasn't that much of a link between them. Sure some of the behavior of some atoms, but it isn't anything that cannot be overcome with a little extra studying. On that note I studied for biochemistry more than any other class in my undergrad degree. It was a great class, but be prepared to study a lot!

 

[175961]

i didnt see much of a connection most of the time. sure there were a few reaction mechanisms and some other stuff that i understood better because i had taken ochem...but i'm sure i would have done fine without haven taken any ochem

 

[Laryngophed]

The very basics of OChem I helped with biochem (understanding energetics, nucleophiles and electrophiles, etc.) but they were overall not interdependent on each for study at your level. I thought OChem II was more pertinent to Biochem, with the stepwise redoxs you learn in OChem II being recapitulated over and over again.

 

[jm192]

Little. I think you could excel in Biochem with no Organic background. It may vary school to school.

it did a good job of tieing Gen Chem and Cell/Molecular Bio with Organic. I enjoyed seeing that Gen Chem wasn't completely useless.

Still, very little if any reactions required.

 

[Chocolate Bear]

I thought OChem II was more pertinent to Biochem, with the stepwise redoxs you learn in OChem II being recapitulated over and over again.

Agreed.

OP, OChem I has very little to do with the actual reactions we care about in Biochem. Biochem is all about C, O, N, and H (as well as some S). But very few reactions from OChem I will come up. If you've only seen OChem I and are going into Biochem, you're setting yourself up for disaster. Especially if you're taking it in the shorter summer session. This is a suicide mission, and I feel sorry for you that your school would let you into the class without having OChem II behind you first.

Do you have any idea how O reacts? N? S? It'd be tough to walk in there and have to learn the basics of these organic reactions while also having to memorize your amino acids and learn things like the electron transport chain, etc. That's why most schools make you do OChem I and II before Biochem I.

 

[Moose A Moose]

Depends.. our school had two different types of biochem classes: for bio majors and for chem majors. It was nice to have a little background in ochem, but if you studied they gave you everything you need to do well. However, can't speak much for the chem route.. I think you'll be fine if you stay on top.

 

[WhitJord85]

I am going to agree with everyone else and say this could be highly school and class dependent, BUT.... Organic was not one of my stronger classes and did very well in Biochem. If you are that concerned about it I would contact the professor that is going to be instructing the class, tell him/her your concerns and see what his/her thoughts are. Probably your best bet.

 

[Daedra22]

I am going to agree with everyone else and say this could be highly school and class dependent, BUT.... Organic was not one of my stronger classes and did very well in Biochem. If you are that concerned about it I would contact the professor that is going to be instructing the class, tell him/her your concerns and see what his/her thoughts are. Probably your best bet.

👍 I also had issues with O Chem, but very well in Biochem. At my school the two subjects appear completely unrelated. Definitely look up reviews about your professors before choosing one.