Biology vs Biochemistry – Know the Best for Medical School
Students who are interested in learning about biology and other streams under it usually opt for majors either in Biology or Biochemistry. While many institutes are offering under-grad courses for both the subjects, making a choice between both of these subjects can be a bit challenging if you don’t know exactly what is included in the subject. As choosing a major is essential before you fill up your admission forms and write SOPs, here are few points you must know about Biology vs Biochemistry and which one you should choose.
Biology
Biology is a vast subject that covers several other disciplines, such as botany, zoology, etc. This course concentrates on the study of living organisms right from flora and fauna to humans. Biochemistry is also a part of Biology’s broad umbrella. But Biology educates a person about the living organisms, the functions and mechanisms in their body explicitly.
Biochemistry
The name itself suggests that this subject is a combination of both Biology and Chemistry. Unlike Biology, Biochemistry deals with the study of the chemical basis of living organisms. Biochemistry also has various courses under its category, such as Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, Biotechnology, and much more. Taking up this subject as a major will be beneficial for the people who are interested in knowing the chemistry involved in all the living organisms.
Now that we have a little gist about both the courses let us quickly go through the differences between them.
Biology vs Biochemistry
Biology | Biochemistry |
| The course consists of studying the structure, function, and growth of organisms along with the origin and evolution of organisms. | Biochemistry focuses on learning the building blocks of organisms, such as proteins, carbohydrates, nucleic acids, and others. |
| Biology consists of structural studies and the differences in various types of living organisms. | This subject offers a broad understanding of the processes occurring inside the organisms, such as cell signaling, metabolic activities, etc. |
| People interested in having knowledge without diving into knowing the techniques for analysis can opt for this subject. | Students who want to get into an analytical approach for biological sciences can opt for this course. |
| Biology has many sub-disciplines and biochemistry is one of them. | Biochemistry is an interdisciplinary course that requires studying maths, physics, statistics and much more. |
| There are chances that you might have to opt for a specialization course after completing your major as Biology is a vast subject. | People with a Biochemistry degree do not need to go for specialization. |
Which one to choose and Why?
The choice of the subject that you want to take up in your med school depends upon your choice of career and personal interest.
Choose Biochemistry:
If you are someone who likes to study the physicochemical processes and chemical ones involved in the living organisms, then you can opt for Biochemistry. It should be noted that people opting for biochemistry have a good chance of becoming a researcher or a professor. People with majors in biochemistry can also opt for job positions in pharmaceutical companies or study more about the subject by opting for a Ph.D. and postdoctoral degree. This course gives you the opportunity of both the types of career academics as well as industrial. So if that is what you are aiming at, you can opt for this course.
Choose Biology:
Now, if you are someone who has no keen interest in chemistry and other subjects such as neurobiology, genetics, metabolism, etc then you should probably opt for Biology. As this subject deals with only understanding the organisms as a whole, you will not be burdened with the processes occurring in the living organisms. One can easily opt for being a scientific writer, healthcare worker, teachers, sales representative for chemical companies, and much more.
Closing Thoughts
Both these subjects are an amazing choice for someone who wants to take up medicine but doesn’t want to be a doctor. Being from the research background, I personally like Biochemistry because there are so many new things and techniques one could learn by taking this course. Also, as there are many subjects involved in the category of biochemistry, it broadens the options for making a career choice. Right from opting for being a neurobiologist to virologists, the possibilities are endless. But again, the decision to select the major should be made on the basis of your interest and career path both. I hope this article helps you to decide the one that you should opt for in your medical school.
