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Chemical Reactions In Our Body

Chemistry, though a mystery to many, is heavily involved in every aspect of our daily life. Our very existence depends upon it. There are numerous examples lying around- big and small, that can make us realize how vital chemistry is in everyday life. Let's take a look!

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 plays a vital role in our survival, and life without chemicals can't even be imagined. They participate in the primary functions of the body, control our emotions, oversee the metabolic processes and keep diseases at bay. The oxygen that we breathe, the essential nutrients that we require, the genetic make-up of our body - the DNA and RNA - are all made up of different elements and compounds. Let us take a look at few such instances that involve chemistry, and are an integral part of our existence.

Roughly 96% of our body mass is made up of just 4 elements:- Oxygen, Carbon, Hydrogen and Nitrogen. The remaining 4% consists of around 60 elements that include sodium, potassium, calcium, zinc, and the list goes on. The elements that are required in larger amounts are called macro-nutrients and the others that are needed in minute quantities, usually in parts per million or less, are called micro-nutrients. Chemically, the human body is made up of water and organic compounds- carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids. 

The organic processes taking place in the human body are termed as metabolism, which involves huge number of chemical reactions. The enzymes that are secreted by different organs act as biocatalysts that speed up the rate of these reactions, whereas the hormones regulate their occurrence, time, and speed. Our well-being, smooth functioning and normal health depends on these metabolic processes. The coordination and simultaneous occurrences of these life processes in an orderly manner is the reason we are fit, healthy, and alive. 

Breathing is the exchange of gases between an organism and its environment. Respiration is a chemical process, which is a reaction between glucose or sugars with oxygen, that release energy. It is the process in which inhalation of oxygen from the air causes inflation of the lungs, and then deflation occurs by exhaling carbon dioxide into the environment. 

The reaction that takes place during breathing is :-
C6H12O6 + 6O2 ➜ 6CO2 + 6H2O + Energy
When 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.

Gastric 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. 

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