Biochemistry is concerned with the study of all living systems at the cellular and molecular levels and is, therefore, fundamental to all life sciences. The field is broad in its disciplinary subjects and applications. It emphasizes the use of chemistry and other physical sciences to understand basic life processes and the products of such processes. In addition to traditional study of the structure and function of biological molecules and understanding of metabolism, the field has come to encompass aspects of molecular biology, molecular genetics, and many areas of biotechnology. It forms a major component of modern medical research and practice, bioengineering and contemporary agricultural and environmental research.