Week 11- Biochemistry

Post my thoughts on a discussion in today's class:

The only discussion I remember was the the one where we talked about the repercussions of using western scientific methods to measure the effectiveness of TCM. I know that some people feel that for our medicine to be widely accepted we need to be able to prove that it has predictable results, and that the studies are repeatable. However, due to the very nature of TCM, I don't know if that's really viable or necessary. I'm only just starting the program, but I've heard this saying, one person many diagnoses? We know TCM works because our patients report back to us that their conditions improve, and we can also observe their improvements. Western medicine uses the same feedback loops. Very few things are actually 'measurable'. We know if blood pressure, heart rate and oxygen levels go up or down, or if lab work improves, but much of it is still dependent on a patient's reported response. We know TCM works because it is a system of medicine in its own right, handed down for thousands of years. It has become widely accepted for certain conditions because its been shown to work. Neither Western medicine or TCM is perfect, both systems have their drawbacks, but I believe both systems will continue to integrate to produce improved outcomes for patients.

Select a definition from the chemistry of life and post my thoughts:

Biochemistry is the chemistry of life, a bridge between biology and chemistry that studies how complex chemical reactions give rise to life

Biochemistry is the study of the relationships between biology and chemistry. It studies basic chemical compounds and the processes that occur in living organisms. It is the crossroads between biology, chemistry and medicine. I think biochemistry is our path forward. In order to survive as a species in the future we are going to figure out how to do things differently. We don't have infinite resources, we are a very finite planet, supporting way more humans than were ever imagined. We need to adopt ways of being that mimic nature, rather than destroying it. Cleaning up oil spills with mussels, and using fungi to eat our plastics is a drop in the bucket. We need to be able to envision a different future for ourselves, using science as a tool that help us to live in balance, starting with this planet right here. Otherwise our beloved Mother will shed us off like a bad cold, and start again with something else.