Biochemical Processes

Abstract

The purpose of this chapter is to acquaint the reader with the importance of biochemical processes in organic geochemistry. Unfortunately, it is not possible to explain in detail all of the biochemical processes that affect organic solutes. Therefore, this chapter introduces basic concepts of biochemical processes. First, the chapter discusses the general decomposition of organic carbon, which is a major biogeochemical pathway in natural systems. The chemical processes of life put together amino acids, carbohydrates, and fatty acids to build specific compounds, such as proteins, polysaccharides, and lipids. When the death of an organism occurs, then the biochemical processes of decay and decomposition take over, and an entirely different suite of fragmented compounds occur. The general decomposition of organic carbon is a broad view of this complicated process.