Why is chemistry so important?
Let's be honest, whenever you think back at taking chemistry in high school or college it probably seemed like the most daunting course in existence. Your classmates would all tell you how difficult it is, to avoid chemistry courses at all costs, and to take the seemingly easier alternative of biology. The truth is that chemistry is all around us and is an essential component of our lives. Every day, we use chemicals and perform chemical reactions without even realizing them. Knowledge of chemistry helps explain what happens to food as you cook it, how soap and water interact with each other when cleaning, the effects of vitamins and drugs on the body, and so much more! In this first blog post, I want to elucidate how chemistry plays a significant role in our lives and across several scientific disciplines. Chemistry shouldn't be an intimidating subject, and it shouldn't be as baffling as society makes it out to be.
Biochemistry and Pharmaceutical Chemistry
Biochemistry is one branch of chemistry that emphasizes the chemical processes related to living organisms. It focuses on processes occurring at the molecular level, such as reactions occurring within cells and how diseases can disrupt their normal functioning. As mentioned in the About page, I work in a cancer research laboratory at Florida State University and aspire to work in the pharmaceutical industry. At the time of writing this blog, I am working on trying to understand how genetic mutations in certain types of brain cancer affect the normal functioning of cells and cause them to become cancerous. In knowing which genes are mutated, potential drugs can be synthesized and administered to hopefully mediate the progression of cancer cells throughout the body. This is related to pharmaceutical chemistry, which is involved in the design and development of drugs. The discovery of these drugs, their effective delivery into the body, and knowledge of their metabolism once administered are some of the elements involved in pharmaceutical chemistry.
Agricultural and Food Chemistry
Among the essential requirements for humans to survive is nutritious food to eat. The American Chemical Society (ACS) states: "Agricultural and food chemists delve into all aspects of crop and animal production, food safety, quality, nutrition, processing, packaging, and utilization of materials including bioenergy." They study the characteristics of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats in order to unravel both the beneficial and detrimental effects that these molecules have on the human body. Among the many other things that food chemists do, they try to explain why it is that our food spoils and becomes rancid, how nutrients and vitamins are processed in the body, and what exactly it is that gives certain foods their unique flavor. In future blog posts, I will discuss a wide variety of different topics about food chemistry.
Astrochemistry
If you look up at the night sky in a remote area away from city lights, you will notice hundreds and possibly thousands of stars visible to the naked eye. Along with our own Sun at the center of the solar system, stars all share one property in common—nuclear fusion. A nuclear fusion reaction is one where at least two atomic nuclei come close enough to form one or more different atomic nuclei. Stars generate their energy through nuclear fusion of hydrogen nuclei into helium. Depending on how massive the star is, this reaction can continue to create heavier elements like lithium, oxygen, and iron. Nuclear fusion is one of the main components of astrochemistry that will be discussed in greater detail.
