Welcome to Biochemistry and Genetics at Texas A&M University!
Our mission is to be an intellectually robust, diverse, ethical community of scholars with a common interest in integrating chemistry, biology, mathematics, and physics to understand the molecular basis of life processes.
The Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics offers two undergraduate majors: Biochemistry and Genetics.
The Undergraduate curriculum in biochemistry is designed to provide a sound scientific education with expertise in chemistry and the physical sciences as well as a strong background in the biological sciences. Research is an important component of the curriculum.
What is Biochemistry? Biochemistry is the study of life from a molecular perspective, from the simplest microorganism, such as virus and bacteria, to the most complex plants and animals. Using the tools of chemistry and molecular genetics, biochemists study life processes at all levels, from the physical-chemical studies of proteins and DNA to the molecular biology of diseases. Over the past 20 years, knowledge of living systems has increased dramatically, and the future holds promise for still more significant discoveries. Biochemistry is a dynamic, exciting science that contributes important information to biology, medicine, nutrition, agriculture, physiology, genetics, and immunology; practically all the basic disciplines of the life sciences.
What is Genetics? Genetics is the study of heredity. This rich and exciting discipline involves the study of molecules, cells, organisms, and populations, employing many different theoretical and experimental approaches. More than an independent discipline, it has become the basis for understanding many aspects of human, animal and plant life. Recent developments in molecular genetics, from improved diagnosis of disease, to the production of viral-resistant crops, to the removal of petroleum spills from the environment, will have a profound impact on human affairs.
As an undergraduate Genetics major, you will master the fundamental principles of Genetics: physical basis of Mendelian inheritance, expression and interaction of genes, linkage, sex linkage, biochemical nature of genetic material and mutation. Additionally, you will tackle the molecular basis of inheritance, covering such topics as gene structure and function, replication and repair of DNA, the genetic code, and genetic manipulation. The undergraduate Genetics curriculum, therefore, allows the study of several different aspects of genetics, including population genetics, human, plant and microbial genetics, and genetic engineering.
Interested in learning more about our department and the two majors? Want to know how to be a double major with Biochemistry and Genetics and still graduate in four years? Curious about career options open to Biochemistry and/or Genetics majors? Wondering if you can take humanities and social sciences classes and still be a Biochemistry Major?