In addition, the differences between living things are a concern of biochemistry, since particular patterns of biochemical information, read from the genes, ultimately control the final form of the organism. Many biochemical problems have a direct bearing on the nutrition, health, and general welfare of humanity. Studies on the mechanisms of photosynthesis and nitrogen fixation may help to improve the productivity of our crops. Development of new drugs and antibiotics depends on a knowledge of bacterial and animal biochemistry, since medical treatments must attack invading bacteria without harming the patient. Along with genetics, biochemistry is the basis for the burgeoning field of biotechnology, which is already affecting the fields of medicine, agriculture, waste disposal and industrial production.
Biochemistry presents many challenging frontiers and unsolved problems to the imaginative mind.
For example, much remains to be discovered about the molecular vestiges of evolution, including the origin of complex cells of higher organisms from more primitive microorganisms. The regulation of enzyme pathways, the organization of enzyme complexes, and the conversion of energy within cell compartments are still actively studied. More complex problems, such as the biochemical nature of memory, the mechanisms which control the orderly development of a single cell into an elaborate organism comprised of many kinds of cells, and the influence of environmental changes on processes within a cell, are current subjects of biochemical research. Biochemistry at Carleton grew from the enthusiasm of a group of biologists and chemists who felt that the combined facilities of the Departments of Chemistry and Biology were well suited to provide a sound fundamental training in this discipline. The Honours B.Sc.