1. Biochemistry is the science concerned with the chemical basis of life and the chemical constituents of living cells and the reactions they undergo. 2. The aims of biochemistry are to describe and explain all the chemical processes of living cells at the molecular level, determine how life began, and gain a complete understanding of cellular processes. 3. Knowledge of biochemistry is essential to life sciences like immunology, physiology, pharmacology, pathology, and microbiology. The reciprocal relationship between biochemistry and medicine has stimulated advances in both fields.