Role of Chemistry in Daily Life

1. Introduction:

11/28/2012 6:33:00 AM

Right from the daily morning mouthwash to the time when we fall asleep under the effect of the tranquilisers released by pituitary gland in our brain, our life is significantly influenced by Chemistry. Household cooking, washing, cleaning and lighting involve utilisation of chemical properties of substances in our day-to-day work. Almost everything that we do during the course of a normal day involves Chemistry in some way. From curtains and concrete in the house we live in to the gas and tires in cars we drive, the makeup we put on our faces, the soaps and cleaners, insecticides and pesticides used everyday, burning wood or other fossil fuels, are all marvels of chemistry. Chemistry is all around us each and every day. The associations are practically limitless. From colours to odours present in Nature are forms of Chemistry. The solar system, the organisms including plants, animals, the foundations of life- the RNAs and DNAs are nothing but chemical manifestations of elements, atoms and molecules and their arrangements Every Substance We Use In a day for various purposes There are three kinds of substances Acids , Bases & Neutral . Every substance we use are of different types and have different characteristics . So this is also a wonder of chemistry . In our daily life , we mix various substances with each other and different reaction results to a new substance . And , only due to the presence of chemistry , this phenomenon happens . In chemistry , there are various types of reactions and each of them have their own properties and concludes to different products from a reactant or reactants . Well , this is another great fact about chemistry .

Materials Your kitchen, your bathroom, your car, everything around your home, in fact, contains a wide variety of materials made possible by chemistry. The pipes under your sink are made from a polymer called PVC. Your kitchen faucets are probably made from stainless steel, an alloy designed to resist corrosion. The rubber in your car tires, the fibers in your carpet, the paint

on your walls, the lacquer on your hardwood floors -- all these are made possible by chemistry. FOOD & AGRICULTUREMany of the foods we eat contain preservatives that keep them fresh longer, colorants to make them look pretty and flavorings like aspartame to make them taste better. When we cook an egg and watch the white of the egg turn from clear to opaque, we're witnessing chemistry in action. The soap used to wash the dishes, the drain cleaner used to unblock a clogged sink, the detergents and bleaches used on laundry, are just more examples of chemistry around your home. The famous green revolution to increase agricultural produce so as to ensure food security was triggered by the advent of inorganic fertilisers. Since then fertilisers are extensively used by farmers to restore the fertility of soil in the fields. Pesticides are used to protect the crop during farming and preserve the grains from pests, rats and mice during storage. Genetically modified seeds which are used to enhance production and earn profits through export of food grains are agricultural applications of Bio-chemistry. Whereas refrigeration system for cold storage of vegetables and raw meat uses Poly Urethene Foam (PUF) and the chemical properties of gases, the preservatives in packaged food products are known to have adverse impact on our body. You Life is chemistry in action. our thoughts and emotions are all complex chains of biochemical processes. A light-triggered change in a molecule called a retinal enables US to see the words you're reading right now. The pH of your blood stays within a narrow range and the hydrochloric acid in your stomach helps you digest food; how the cells in your body convert sugars from the food you eat into energy -- and much, much more. . The processes essential for sustenance of lifeMetabolism are sequences of chemical reactions in the living

organisms. Domestic Uses Vinegar (acetic acid) and lemon juice (citric acid) are integral fixtures of almost every kitchen. Boric acid acts as an antiseptic and cleaner because it has weak acidic properties. Citric acid also produces low-pH shampoos and toothpastes. Among the bases, sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) is used in a number of different circumstances. The combination of baking soda with a weak acid results in the production of carbon dioxide, thus causing dough and batter to rise. Sodium hydroxide (caustic soda) is used to a great extent in oven cleaners and drain cleaners because of its ability to convert fats to water-soluble soap. Medical Uses Industrial Uses Nitric acid is one of the main ingredients of TNT. Sulfuric acid is a significant component of car batteries and is ideal in the production of fertilizers. A base called aluminum hydroxide applies to water purification, dyeing of garments and the production of some varieties of glass. A useful property of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) is the obstruction of the flow of oxygen to a flame, which assists in firefighting. From cloth mills, lather factories, petro-chemical industries and refineries to metal industries- all use numerous fuels for power generation and chemical products for processing their product and improve their quality and simultaneously produce pollution. Now-a-days chemical effluent treatment plants use chemicals to control or neutralise the hazardous impact of pollutants produced by the industries. Aviation and shipping industries generate power through power plants which burn fuels. Petrol and diesel emit out green house gases dangerous for the survival on earth which damage the ozone layer that protects us from UV rays. As a result global warming has taken place which is a destroyer of the planet earth. But again Chemistry paves the way with bio-fuels. 2. Health Care and Beauty: The drugs prescribed by the doctor, the antibiotics to cope with a infection, the painkillers like ibuprofen or aspirin.

The diagnostic tests carried out in laboratories, the prognostic estimations, medical prescriptions, pills, the vaccines, the antibiotics play very vital role in health monitoring, control of diseases and in alleviating the sufferings of the humanity. Right from birth control to enhancement of life expectancy- all have been made possible using the unequivocal services of Chemistry. Drug molecules are usually complex structures that require considerable chemistry know-how to synthesize, so these are another product in our life that requires chemistry. citric acid plays a key role in the production of antacid, a famous stomach remedy. Aluminum hydroxide is a base included in the production of antacids. Magnesium sulfate, also known as Epsom salts, provides a powerful laxative and eliminates poisonous substances from the body. Aluminum hydroxyl chloride works as an antiperspirant. From simple sterilisation of surgical instruments with antiseptic solution to Chemotherapy and Genome sequencing are all nothing but applications of Chemistry. Injecting cows, buffaloes, goat and sheep with bovine Somatotropin increases milk-production but it is indiscriminately being used by sportspersons to un-ethically enhance performance. Aging- a chemical change can only be checked chemically. Most beauty products like lotions, cosmetics, soaps, shampoos and personal care products, all of which contain a wide variety of organic compounds made possible by modern chemistry are produced through chemical synthesis to clean, nurture and protect skins. However, their certain ingredients are hazardous to our health in the long run. 5. Science and Technology: the destructive effects of Atom Bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Generations in Japan have suffered the devastation and there has been no solace. The threat of weapons of mass-destruction (WMDs) like the Nuclear, Chemical and Biological weapons looms large on the Humanity. Terrorists are using RDX and other explosives to run currents of fear down the spines across the globe. Nuclear

reactors which are going to serve the future generations through power generation leave us with the problem of Nuclear Waste Management. Whereas the destructive power is generated through chains of chemical reactions, we remain assured that Chemistry has facilitated the chain of counter measures too in the form of safety suites and NBC resistant bunkers. Forensic science- the comprehensive scientific analysis of material evidence in the context of the law uses principles of chemistry to facilitate crime investigation. Tele-communications, Information Technology and Space Missions- all bank on the chemistry of semi-conductors and nano-tubes.

CONCLUSIONFoods we eat have to do with chemistry. They consist of organic compounds like carbohydrates--starch and sugar, protein, and lipids. Other nutrients like vitamins and minerals and water are all important chemical compounds. The process of respiration removes oxygen from the environment while adding carbon dioxide and water. Plants use these to carry out photosynthesis, while releasing oxygen and water again out of their leaves. Again, chemical reactions important to everyday life. The drugs people use are all extracted from plants or synthesized in laboratories--chemistry! Soaps, detergents, household cleaners are all chemicals made in a lab. The art of cooking is a chemical reaction. Once food is cooked, it is never the same! A piece of bread vs. toast, or a raw piece of steak, vs. a cooked steak. The makeup and anti-wrinkle cremes, the sunscreen, all chemical products devised in labs and sold on the market place. The ph of various things in the home have to do with chemistry from the acidic orange juice to the alkaline bleach. When you eat foods, hydrolysis or digestion occurs in the alimentary canal. This is a series of chemical reactions using enzymes, to change complex chemicals in food to end products that can be absorbed by the body's cells. The caffeine in the coffee and tea we drink affects our mood and keeps us awake. These are all chemical reactions in the body. Fermentation, another chemical reaction produces beer and wine, cheese and bread. Chemistry certainly affects us all from the time we are born until the day

we die. Even then, decomposition occurs and chemical elements return to the Earth to be reused. : Chemistry helps us march on the humane and civilised path of glory from womb to tomb. While we appreciate the fact that Chemistry overwhelms us in every bit of our daily life, it must be clearly borne in mind that it is good so long as it balances the nature. When nature is outbalanced by chemicals, it becomes a disaster. It serves us in good stead but when rooks rule the roost, it assumes a devastating form. Chemistry arms us on the land of mortals to protect our body and civilised life and disarms us when our soul proceeds for the heavenly abroad, leaving our body to disintegrate into the Panch-tatvas as envisaged in Hindu Mythology

11/28/2012 6:33:00 AM

11/28/2012 6:33:00 AM