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Florida State College at Jacksonville *

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BIOL1310

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Chemistry

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Oct 30, 2023

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docx

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 List the major chemical elements found in living systems. Chemistry is important as its own subject and also as part of the study of anatomy and physiology. To truly understand anatomy and physiology, including the processes that take place in the human body, you also need some knowledge of chemistry and chemical processes.  Describe two of the chemicals and chemical processes that are most important to human life.  Describe a chemical process you have seen in action. When and where did it happen? What took place when you observed this process?  How does that process relate to one or more of the chemical processes that happen in the human body? Oxygen for our breathing and cellular respiration h2o The major chemical elements found in living systems are water, carbon dioxide gas, molecular oxygen, ammonia, mineral salts, carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, nucleic acids, and adenosine triphosphate. (Rizzo) Water is one of the most important chemical processes in human life. Our body has about 60 to 80 percent water in it, including our blood. Water is also referred to as H2o, it is two hydrogen atoms that covalently bond to one oxygen atom. (Rizzo) Without water we would not be able to live and when our body does not have much of it in our system, we can get dehydrated and sick. Examples would be how the body fluid of water helps protect our organs like our brain, kidneys, and skin. Water helps our kidneys remove waste, which is when we have to use the bathroom. Keeps our skin hydrated, many of us have noticed when we drink plenty of water our skin feels less dry and one of the key ingredients in lotions and moisturizers is water that relates to hydration that we need and see when we look at skincare products. Molecular Oxygen is also an important chemical process in life, also referred to O2, it's when two oxygen atoms are covalently bonded together. (Rizzo) Without this process all living things would not be able to breathe air. So, it is a crucial part of our lives, our pets, even the plants and trees we see outside. I’m sure people have told you that having plants in your household is very important, even if you're not the best plant caretaker it’s good to have a special one in your house. They help us breathe fresh air without plants we would not be able to survive. Plants help produce oxygen and when you think about it plants are one of the main food sources for other living things including us and animals. Without the food source of eating meat or vegetables we will not be able to live.

A chemical process that I have seen in action is when I was baking. I have a big, sweet tooth so I like to bake cookies and brownies often, which are also a form of carbohydrates. One of the chemical processes is the reaction of baking which is when all the chemicals in the ingredients are mixed together and the heat from the oven makes the mixture rise and bake thoroughly until it’s in its correct form. Or how you like the final form, I personally like all my baked goods soft and gooey, so they typically have less time in the oven. Even though I am not a child anymore I do enjoy seeing the process of cookies and brownies rise while they are baking in the oven. It’s also cool seeing how cookies can look puffed up when you take them out of the oven and when it’s set it falls nicely to its perfect shape. That’s also a chemical process from the heat being taken away. I think this can relate to how our body regulates temperature and when we get too hot or cold our body reacts in different ways. Just like how the heat of the oven makes the cookies and brownies rise, it’s similar to how when we have a fever our body temperature rises higher than normal, and we feel sick. When the cookies are out of the oven and feel the cool air, the puffiness goes down. That’s similar to when we have an injury that’s swollen, we use an ice pack to make the swelling go down. Rizzo, D. C. (2015). Fundamentals of Anatomy and Physiology (4th ed.). Cengage Learning US. https://online.vitalsource.com/books/9781305445420

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