indigomoth Post 6

@pleonasm - I think you'd be hard pressed to find much serious biological research that doesn't have elements of biochemistry in it. Biology and biochemistry go hand in hand, particularly these days when a lot of basic animal and plant research has been done and the really exciting discoveries are more to do with genetics then anything else.

Which is not to say that there isn't still a lot to find out with behavioral science, but if you study genetics and biochemistry in school you are very rarely going to be out of work, because there's so much going on in that field now.

@irontoenail - You might end up teaching biology or chemistry. Although to be honest when I think biochemistry it's more about the chemistry than the biology.

Biology is a very broad discipline, it's true, but it doesn't really make me think of elements and molecules and chemicals. I know that's a major part of biology, but I wanted to learn biology because I loved animals, plants and so forth, not really because I liked playing with chemicals.

Whereas someone who enjoys chemistry will take to biochemistry without even batting an eye, since all the techniques and so forth are the same.

I can remember being really disappointed in high school when I realized that we never even got to see a plant or an animal, it was all about oxygen reactions and so forth.

@lunastar08 - There are a lot of different career paths to follow if you take biochemistry. There's the straight path of becoming a biochemist, which generally means you'll be working for a company or university, doing research relating to whatever you chose to focus on during your degree. You could be working with bacteria or with people (or with both).

How interesting the work is and how much you get paid depend on how high you take your degree. If you have a PhD in biochemistry you could end up being in charge of a laboratory.

But, scientist is not the only possible career path. You might do something only slightly related like work in biosecurity, or the administrative side of scientific research.

Or you might end up teaching biology as well. They always seem to have a shortage of science teachers, probably because people with science degrees have so many options.

Biochemistry is great. I like it.

what careers are possible if one does biochemistry?

Read more here:
What is Biochemistry? (with pictures) - wiseGEEK