Biology is the what: chemistry is the why and physics is the how. Knowledge of chemistry and physics is essential for being a successful biologist because they all intertwine with each other.
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The first time I ever felt that my biology and chemistry classes intertwine was during organic chemistry. Our final project was a literature review, we were finally past learning just the basics of organic chemistry and now it was time to apply it. My literature review detailed how the different isomers of a molecule can either be harmful or helpful. Thalidomide is the biggest example of how exactly how R and S isomers can cause thousands of babies to be born with birth defects. This was a very controversial drug when it first came out and the U.S. did not approve the drug in the market while other countries used it to help with the side effects of being pregnant. The chemistry of drugs and how they affect and interact with our own chemical biology is really important to understand. For me going into the world of dentistry, local anesthesia is used every day. It is really important to know how different drugs that the patients are taking can interact with those frequently used in the dental setting.
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In my biochem lab, I learned about biology like I had never had before. We reviewed topics that I was amazed to find out I only ever knew just the surface of information about metabolism and other biological functions. This class was really interesting because it was one of the first opportunities I have had to do biological testing/experiments on my own with confidence. Our teacher knew that we had learned how to do gel electrophoresis and PCR over our four years and really encouraged us to take the labs in stride. For me, this is really important because a lot of what is biologically significant comes from lab work. I have been in several different situations in the lab where I have not felt confident enough in the information to do the lab correctly. This led me to be lost and slow in my work. This is a really frustrating feeling and I knew I had to improve especially since lab work is a big part of dentistry. You need to be able to perform tasks in the lab to sterilize equipment and make molds effectively and efficiently. This class really helped me see my potential as a biologist.
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Finally, physics has been one of the best classes I have had at Longwood. The two physics classes I have taken at Longwood have really helped me improve my algebra and understanding of the natural world. Physics is everywhere even if you “cannot feel it.” We learn about a lot of different topics from kinetics, to standing sound waves and even important topics of electricity in the animal kingdom. This class helped explain the how behind biological science from electric eels to static cling in the winter time. This class is important because it really helped me understand how broad science is and how everything in our environment is interconnected. Going into dentistry I know that a general dentist cannot work alone and it is important to have specialists (Orthodontists and Periodontists) support you and your patients.