Remarkably, in spite of our incredible knowledge of the chemistry of life, biochemistry is indeed a remarkably young science. The reasons for the apparent anomaly are easily appreciated. We have discovered over the past 50 years that biochemical systems obey all of the laws and principles of chemistry and physics which we have come to understand with great sophistication over the past 100 years. It has been the application of those fundamental principles, along with the rapid development of numerous extraordinary technologies, that have spawned the explosion in our understanding of biochemical phenomena. All of this in turn has produced an entirely new challenge both scientifically and ethically.
Biochemistry deals with living systems at the molecular level.
That is why a sound understanding of basic chemistry is essential before one can tackle the fascinating subject of the chemistry of life. Most important, since much of the chemistry of living processes is based on the chemistry of carbon, your organic chemistry must serve you as a tool and not as an obstacle. This type of review must be done on your own since there is precious little time to cover the basic areas of biochemistry. I'll provide you with a list of review topics. Your study of biochemistry is something of a capstone course.