How Is Chemistry Related to Medicine?
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An understanding of organic chemistry is integral to the study of medicine, as it plays a vital role in a wide range of biomedical processes. Inorganic chemistry is also used in the field of pharmacology.
- Enzymes and other catalysts trigger the body’s essential processes.
- Ions govern communication between cells.
- Pharmaceutical science is largely the study of organic compounds and their effects on the functioning of the body. Relatively few inorganic compounds are also involved.
Chemical reactions guide many biological processes and dysfunctions in the body’s organic molecules cause many medical disorders, such as hemophilia, which stems from the lack of a specific organic compound in the blood. Poisoning is another example where chemical reactions can have adverse effects on the human body and its functioning.
The links between chemistry and medicine are complex and result in countless specific applications such as:
- The study of covalent bonds applies to the comparison of water versus fat-soluble vitamins along with the synthesis of the drug Novacaine.
- The study of Lewis structure rules and ionic bonds applies to the analysis of free radicals in biology.
- Acid-base titrations aid in the study of vitamin B12 deficiency.
