1.1.2 What’s the Difference between Biological Chemistry and Bio-Organic Chemistry?

All deal with interface of biology and chemistry, exchange of knowledge and solution of problems.

Figure 1.1: Representation of ideas exchange between chemistry and biology.

Organic Chemistry:

• Explains the events of biology:- mechanisms, rationalization, kinetics

Biological Chemistry:

• Provides challenges to chemistry:- Design, synthesis, structure determination
• Inspires chemists: Biomimetics→ improved chemistry by understanding of biology.

 1.1.3 Why the term Bio-organic Chemistry

As we discussed earlier, that the organic chemistry is related to the development of methodology to synthesize organic molecules of biological importance/analogues. However, not all the analogues are potent to have response to/or with biological molecules. So, modification of synthesis is necessary which is only possible from a thorough study of biological process, a part of biochemistry.
On the other hand, knowledge of biochemistry gives the idea of what would be useful to synthesis for a fruitful response which can only be possible via organic chemistry.
Therefore, the need for the multidisciplinary approach become obvious and there must have to have two laboratories-i) one for the synthesis and ii) another for the biological study. Thus, knowledge of organic chemistry give rise to the concept of building of organic models chemically synthesized in the laboratory to study the complex biological processes.
Bioorganic chemistry is thus, a young and rapidly growing science arising from the overlap of biochemistry and organic chemistry.