Role of Chemistry in Human Life

Human life is inseparable from Chemistry. Everything whether living or non-living, solid, liquid or gas, from the softest mineral (Talc) to hardest material (diamond), is made up of basic building blocks called chemical elements. It is that branch of science that deals with the chemical composition, structure and properties of matters and other substances.

Human body itself is made up of chemical compositions and the environment required for the human life to sustain is inseparable from the chemical composition of matters. Some of the uses of the chemistry in our daily life which are discussed below:

Health Care and beauty

Preserving health from the impurities present in the environment is the biggest challenge in today’s polluted world. Medicines which are made up of chemical compounds are the most essential part of our daily life. The diagnostic tests, vaccines laboratory tests of diseases, monitoring and curing are the parameters of health control system. From the birth of human life to the life expansion system, all have been possible by enjoying the services of chemistry. From injection to antiseptic pills, chemotherapy till reproduction of human organs, all are using the services of chemistry directly or indirectly.

In beauty treatments a lot of chemicals are used like ammonia, hydrogen and bleach. A latest invention is to use chemical compounds to reduce the effect of aging. Although some of the chemicals have adverse effect on our health and specially skin yet it is the main ingredient to protect our body and life.

Industries and Transportation

Cloth Mills, Metal industry, Leather Factories, Petro chemical industries and the other industries make extensive use of chemicals in one or the other form which has developed chemistry as a service to the mankind. The fuel used and gases formed during these processes harm human life sometimes but at the same time the procurement and treatments are also done by using chemicals. For example, petrol and diesel are distilled fuels formed after chemical reactions which cause pollution in the air. At the same time the anti pollutant methods also use chemical products.

Food Security and Agriculture

Inorganic fertilizers are used to protect our crops from getting spoiled. The green revolution is an achievement in this area. Many of the fertilizers, pesticides increase the fertility of the soils. Even in food preservation techniques, grain mixing and crop maintenance the chemical compounds are used. The seed are mixed and modified with chemicals to enhance the production and earn profits. The refrigeration of food used for cold storage and poly urethanes foam (PUF) used for vegetable preservation are the gases which have some adverse effect on the health. Hence bio-chemical products are introduced which are new inventions in the field of bio-chemistry.

Science and Technology

The mankind had faced destructive effects of atom bombs which was an extension of chemical reactions. Many of the nuclear weapons and biological bombs are still a curse to humans. Many terrorists use dangerous gases and RDX type of the materials which will have adverse effects. These are the bad effects of chemistry on us. But at the same time some natural science applications like changing colour of leaves, cooking food oil and gases, cleaning processes are the necessary application of chemistry which we are using in our day to day life.

Apart from these major fields, the new innovative discoveries using services of chemistry are coming up like waste management systems, forensic science, crime investigation chemicals, telecommunication systems, Information technology and space missions. In the modern world, no field is left untouched with the extended hand of chemistry.