Role Of Chemistry In Everyday Life

Chemistry is a branch of science, which deals with the study of the composition, structure, properties, reactions, and behavior of substances. Hence, chemistry is termed as the central science. It is the essence of our everyday lives and occurs in the food we eat, the air we breathe, the water we drink, everything is a result of chemical processes.

In fact, emotions like love and hatred are also driven by chemistry. For a better understanding of the chemistry that is virtually everywhere around us, we have provided day-to-day examples in two sections. Firstly, examples of chemistry within our body and secondly, examples of chemistry that exist outside our body or occur around us.Chemistry Within UsChemistry plays a vital role in our survival,

Hydrogen - a highly-combustible gas and Oxygen - a gas without which combustion is impossible, form a covalent bond with each other to create the most effective fire extinguisher, which is water. The chemical formula of water is H2O.Yes! We drink a chemical everyday. Water is important for all the metabolic processes that occur inside our body. As Leonardo da Vinci stated "Water is the driving force of all nature."Feeling HungryWhen you feel hungry the hormone Ghrelin is secreted by the stomach that triggers hunger. It stimulates the release of the growth hormone. It plays a role in the release of Insulin and protection of the cardiovascular organs. So, the next time your stomach growls grab a bite because if you fast or skip meals, more Ghrelin is produced thus increasing your craving for food.DigestionGastric acid is composed of hydrochloric acid (HCl) and large quantities of potassium chloride(KCl) and sodium chloride(NaCl) that is secreted by the parietal cells lining the stomach.This gastric acid helps convert pepsinogen to pepsin which is responsible for the denaturing of the proteins in the stomach. It also kills the micro-organisms in the food before they can make you sick. The HCl neutralizes the acid present in the foods you eat thereby maintaining your body's acidic or alkaline levels to keep you healthy.Tears and CryingSometimes, crying is a natural reflex. Studies have

They both are inter-dependent. We get an uninterrupted supply of oxygen, and plants get the carbon dioxide they need. Thus, photosynthesis plays a significant role in our day-to-day life.Color of MeatThere are two types of meat: red and white. Red meat contains a highly pigmented protein called myoglobin that stores oxygen in the muscle cells. More the myoglobin in the cells, the redder is the meat. However, as meat is heated, the proteins break down and shrink in size.When the interior of the meat reaches 170° F, hemichrome (a tan colored compound) levels rise, and the myoglobin becomes metmyoglobin, which gives well-done meat its brown-gray shade. White meat contains glycogen, which has a translucent "glassy" quality when it is raw. When it's cooked, the proteins recombine, or coagulate, and the meat becomes opaque and whitish.Apples Turning BrownApples contain an enzyme called polyphenol oxidase (PPO), also known as tyrosinase. Cutting an apple exposes its cells to the atmospheric oxygen and oxidizes the phenolic compounds present in apples. This is called the enzymatic browning that turns a cut apple brown. In addition to apples, enzymatic browning is also evident in bananas, pears, avocados and even potatoes.Crying and OnionsWhen you cut an onion you break the cells that form the layers in an onion, thus releasing an enzyme Alliinase that reacts with a sulfur-containing