Chemistry for me

Honestly, chemistry is one of the subjects that I had struggled with in high school. I look back at the days when I used to dread memorizing and understanding the chemical reactions until I got the hang of it I would have never imagined that there would come a day where I will decide to pursue pharmacy as a career, because pharmacy is the study of drugs in the chemical aspect. This brings me to the wonders of chemistry in our day to day lives. 

Chemistry is all around us from the bed that we sleep on to the water we drink to stay alive to the food we eat to obtain the vitamins and minerals needed for survival and energy. When we even look at the biology aspect of life, chemistry comes to play its role too. Firstly, the concept of photosynthesis is a chemical process which converts carbon dioxide into organic chemical compounds in the presence of light. It occurs in biological compounds but it is a ‘chemical’ reaction. Secondly, cellular respiration, one of the most important concepts in biology is the proof that chemistry controls us. It is a metabolic reaction that takes place in cells and organisms to convert biochemical energy from nutrients into adenosine triphosphate and then release waste products. The chemical reactions of photosynthesis and respiration are as follows:

Photosynthesis:

Carbon dioxide + Water à Glucose + Oxygen

Respiration:

Glucose + Oxygen à Carbon Dioxide + Water

When I was in high school I remember the lab lesson which involved a lot of regents and chemicals was always the dangerous and risky one but also fun. That of course is the chemistry lab lesson. I remember enjoying the titration experiment, because it is so cool seeing the color change to determine the end point! However, if you add too much chemical, the color becomes so dark !! I remember my teacher telling me, Ruqaiyah you must repeat the experiment to get the accurate end point and then i was like oh shoot! I didn't like any experiments that involved that terrible smelling ammonia solution! If we had an experiment involving ammonia, not only will the whole lab smell my lab coat would be stinking the whole week! Even after washing, you can smell the ammonia.

The main thing that inspired me about chemistry is really when I wanted to become a pharmacist. I really was interested to know about the reactions of drugs as it is really fascinating how when someone is suffering from an illness or ailment, he or she takes medications and within a few hours or days, he or she has been cured. I wanted to know exactly the chemical constituents of the drugs and how the target receptors in the body to produce the intended therapeutic outcome. A lot of people I know find chemistry a very tedious and confusing subject, but everything in life seems difficult in the beginning, but come on, with practice, interest and understanding you can really get the hang of it.

Without chemistry, I can’t seem to put a picture in my mind of how life would be. The laptop I am typing this post with wouldn’t have even been possible if it wasn’t for chemistry. The laptop is powered by a battery which is made from a mixture of chemical elements and it is that battery which keeps my laptop running for hours on end. It is the same laptop that I do my assignments in, research, my lab reports, keep in contact with my family and my friends who are far away from Malaysia and most importantly it makes my university life easier. When I am so far away from my family and home, it is hard to get in touch with what is happening in the world, but thanks to my laptop and my smart phone I am very much up-to-date with the latest news of the world in general. 

Electronic gadgets aside, I am going to keep going on and on if I continue talking about that aspect of chemistry because it is an endless list that goes on and on. Let’s see our chemical reactions that happen in our body. The body is composed of different types of cells and systems. The cells need vitamins and a constant supply of nutrients and water. Water, which I must add I love to drink for both healthy skin and to prevent myself from getting sick, is composed of two main elements, hydrogen and oxygen. The human body is anywhere from 55% to 78% water depending on body size. Most of our tissues and organs are made up of water, Muscle consists of 75% water, Brain (one of the most important organs in the body) consists of 90% water, Bone consists of 22% water and Blood consists of 83% water. The functions of water in the human body are vital. Water helps to transport nutrients and oxygen into cells, moisturizes the air in the lungs, helps with metabolism, protects our vital organs, helps our organs to absorb nutrients easier, regulates body temperature, detoxifies and protects and moisturizes our joints. If we don’t have this important chemical compound in our body, we can suffer from dehydration, tiredness, constipation, muscle cramps, irregular blood pressure, dry skin and the risk of death. Drinking water maintains the pH balance in the body and it can relieve many medical conditions.

In a nutshell, I must emphasize the importance of chemistry in life, without chemistry, will we be able to continue of day to day activities?, will we be able to work and carry out tasks efficiently or even carry out any tasks at all? Ask yourself that? Chemistry is all around us, it is what makes us and it controls our daily activities. I have the utmost respect for all my chemistry teachers from school and in the university to have really made me gain interest in this subject. =)