Biochemistry Personal Statement Example 9

Biochemistry has the power to unlock key mysteries of the physical world with the potential to improve the quality of life, offering to explore the inter-relationship between Chemistry and Biology which I noticed in my first term of biology: as water was said to be a polar compound, I was able to prove this with my knowledge of Chemistry because the difference in electronegativity between the hydrogen and oxygen, causes polarity.

During the course, I set out to try to understand biology with Chemistry leading me to learn more on the correlation between these two subjects. This has helped me improve my biological insight, as I would always seek a way to prove biological findings with my chemical theory, therefore each learning step would help me advance in both the subjects I love.

Eager to comprehend complicated DNA diseases with Chemistry, I started reading 'Junk DNA' by Nessa Carey, which has given me greater knowledge on how slight mutations to DNA through repetition, can cause diseases such as myotonic dystrophy. It creates an unstable chain of repeated codons; my knowledge is limited to only understanding the simple aspects to this disease. However, I want to further understand the cycle at a microscopic level, where the DNA's mutation begins to affect the transcription and translation stages, to where the proteins formed that will cause muscle stiffness and cardiac defects.

The desire to learn more, pushed me to attend lectures at King's College London and UCL, in which I would note down all I could on Oncology, Micro-biology and also Psychology. These subjects drove me to research more about the Chemistry of these subjects and whether I could implement my knowledge of the atoms from the periodic table and their tendencies to make sense of the information on the causes of cancer and the miniscule chemical reactions which result in the defected phenotype. Reading 'Growth of the world's first biolimb,' in the New Scientist has intrigued me, as scientists have now created a rat's forearm within a petri dish. Reading about how scientists keep finding unique and new discoveries to this day, gives me hope that I too will use my research and revolutionise the world of Biochemistry.

After four years of rowing in lower-school and taking part in my school for the second XV in rugby, I appreciate how to balance my work with my free time and recognize the importance of having a sport to help sustain a healthy studious environment. In addition to the physical sports, I needed to vary my normal routine by creating a table-tennis club with my peers after school. This has given me a sense of both leadership and organisational skills whilst still enjoying the sport.

For the past year, I have been attending the Royal Hospital for Neuro-Disability where I help the patients getting from different wards and it also gives me plenty of time to talk with them and doctors to get a greater understanding of the complicated diseases. When I return home, I would sometimes research the diseases of the patients I looked after. The most common disease was Parkinson's and through research, I have more knowledge on how it works to kill the dopamine-generating cells in the substantia nigra and it helps me understand the chain reactions which cause these neurological diseases. Through work at the hospital, I have acquired many skills which range from being organised, being able to collect the right drugs and at the correct volume needed for the patient. It has improved my technique in the labs within both Biology and Chemistry. It has made me understand how vital the accuracy of my research and experiments must be.

The switch from A levels to Biochemistry will include vast amounts of work and be very challenging, however I will use all the experience I have acquired with my capability to learn, the research collected and my fascination with the subject, to overcome the difficulties and meet my desires to succeed in university.