Understanding Chemistry May Help You Understand Your Health

The study of chemistry helps us to understand body processes and our health.  ”And chemistry and biology are more connected than you might think,” according to the National Institutes of Health. “ ¹

In an unrelated textbook, An Integrated Approach to Health Sciences: Anatomy & Physiology, Math, Physics, & Chemistry, the author identifies the four basic building blocks of Health Sciences: anatomy and physiology, math, physics, and chemistry. With regard to the relevance of chemistry to health professionals, the authors explain:

“Chemical reactions are involved in the production of energy (from metabolism), the transmission of nerve signals and the building of new muscle, just to name a few processes. Some athletes and many people in general are interested in maintaining certain body weights. Having an understanding of the role of minerals in the body and of the metabolism of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins is a necessity when trying to decipher the information regarding diet and health.” ²

It’s all about actions and reactions. “Using knowledge about atoms, forces, and molecules, chemists learn about unfamiliar substances, but they also learn about organisms and their body processes.”³

“The body is a complex chemical factory within which a variety of reactions take place that are integral toward health. For example, the energy required to play many sports comes from the chemical reactions that break down glucose (a type of sugar) to carbon dioxide and water. When the body is not functioning properly, different chemical reactions occur that upset the delicate balance and result in the symptoms associated with maladies. An understanding of the chemical processes that occur in the body can help you [health professionals] in both making diagnoses and responding appropriately in emergency situations.”²

The National Institutes of Health offers a free guide called, The Chemistry of Health Booklet. Discover how “biochemical relays keep our organ systems operating, how food is broken down and used to build tissues and organs, and how tiny biological probes and instruments can track single molecules.” ⁴

References

1.http://publications.nigms.nih.gov/chemhealth/act.htm

2. Colbert, Bruce J. (1995). An Integrated Approach to Health Sciences: Anatomy & Physiology, Math, Physics, & Chemistry. Albany, NY: Delmar Publishers.

3. http://publications.nigms.nih.gov/order/index.htm#chemhealth

4. http://publications.nigms.nih.gov/chemhealth/