Chemistry and life 1

How chemistry is present in human life and in nature?

A review of the Literature












Walmria Lima da Costa
Deep 2, Class 3
Teachers Heather and Denise
January 17, 2014
Word count: 1971
Chemistry and life 2

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABSTRACT 3
INTRODUCTION 4
What is the role and the function of chemistry in the human
body?

5
Is there any relation between eating habits, chemistry and
health?

7
How do we explain love? 8
Is it possible to control the intensity of love? 9
CONCLUSION 10
REFERENCES 11

Chemistry and life 3

ABSTRACT
In recent years, chemists and health scientists have found and proved
many evidences of the importance and functions of different
chemicals in the human body. While many of these chemicals are
naturally present in a human body, many of them need to be intake
daily. Chemicals are also the key of love, and chemists have found
the way as chemicals act during the love action. This literature review
exposes some chemical functions in the human body, as well as the
relation between chemistry and love. The paper describes some of the
most important chemical substances in a human body, and also these
substances roles.

Chemistry and life 4

INTRODUCTION
How chemistry is present in human life and in nature?
A review of the Literature
Chemistry is the science responsible for the studies of the composition, structure,
properties and changes (or reactions) of matter. Looking difficult and scary at a first glance,
chemistry is in fact beautiful and involving. It is known as the bridge science or the central
science, considering that chemistry is the only science which allows connections between
most of the other natural sciences, such as biology, geology and physics (General
Chemistry Virtual Textbook, 2011). However, it is important to remember that, even though
chemistry is a physical science, it is completely different from physics.
In spite of all these concepts and achievements, it is still common to hear many
people say about a product: it has chemistry, but that one does not. However, this
expression is completely wrong, considering that chemistry is a science which basically
studies matter, and matter, according to Rogers et all (2000), is defined as everything that
has mass and occupies space. Based on this, it is possible to conclude that everything has
chemistry, and chemistry is in everything.
This literature review considers the exposition of two important fields in a human
life, both being extremely related to chemistry: the human body and health and love. The
explanation of how these things are correlated to chemistry will be given by responding to
the following questions:
1. What is the role and the function of chemistry in the human body?
2. Is there any relation between eating habits, chemistry and health?
3. How do we explain love?
Chemistry and life 5

4. Is it possible to control the intensity of love?
Despite what many people believe, there is a way to explain the way of the human
body functions. Chemical substances are the most important players, not only having a role
in coordinating food absorption, but they are also responsible when it comes to falling in
love with others.

What is the role and the function of chemistry in the human body?
An alive organism is characterized by some common processes, such as
sensitivity, nutrition, respiration, excretion, growth, movement and reproduction. Humans
are no different. To work properly, the human body has its own network of bodily
communication, and chemicals are the key to it. Basically, 99% of the human body is made
up of only 4 chemical components (Schirber, 2009). They are oxygen, carbon, hydrogen
and nitrogen. Oxygen is absorbed through the breathing process. It is also, together with
hydrogen, present in water, which composes 70% of a human body. Carbon is the base of
cells, and is the main chemical present in living organisms. Nitrogen, on the other hand, is
the base of DNA and proteins (RSC, n.d.).
According to the quantities in which chemical substances are present in a human
body, they are classified into two groups: the macronutrients, which make up the more
prominent representatives, and the micronutrients, which consist of those which appear
only at the level of parts per million or less (Schirber, 2009). These substances control the
body by inducing trillions of chemical reactions which happen simultaneously in numerous
pathways. These pathways make up what is named metabolism (RSC, n.d.).
Chemistry and life 6

Metabolism can happen in two ways: anabolism or catabolism. The first one is
when molecules are built by anabolic pathways. Catabolism, on the other hand, is when
molecules are broken down in the body by catabolic pathways. These processes aim to
make the body absorb substances which are essential to its operation. Between the more
than 100 chemical elements already discovered, the functions of at least 20 of them are
known by scientists in the human body (RSC, n.d.). Below are some of them and their
functions.
Calcium, a mineral which must be frequently eaten, is tightly linked to many of the
roles that vitamin D plays in the body. It helps to build bones and needs to be maintained at
specific levels in blood (Rubin, n.d.). The most efficient sources of calcium are milk and its
derivatives.
Iron is a chemical present in the red blood cells, mainly as a component of
haemoglobin. Its main function is the transfer of oxygen at various sites in the body. This
important component of the human body may be found in a variety of foods of both plant
and animal origin. According to Lupien (1997), rich food sources include meat (especially
liver), fish, eggs, legumes (including a variety of beans, peas and other pulses) and green
leafy vegetables. Cereal grains such as maize, rice and wheat also contain moderate
amounts of iron.
It was only recently proved that zinc is a chemical which is important to the human
body. It is present in many important enzymes essential for metabolism, and in an adult
human, its proportions are much lower than the necessary. To get it into their bodies,
humans need to keep eating protein-rich foods such as meat, seafood and eggs (Lupien,
1997).
Chemistry and life 7

Beyond the elements named above, carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium,
sulphur, sodium, chlorine, magnesium, fluorine, copper, selenium, chromium, manganese,
molybdenum and cobalt are also required by the human body. Most parts of these
chemicals are naturally present in the human body in proportions much lower than needed.
So, they need to be absorbed through daily food intake.

Is there any relation between eating habits, chemistry and health?
The eating process consists of many complex chemical compounds called
enzymes, which are responsible for the breakdown of food, with the purpose of
transforming it into smaller substances which can be absorbed by the body. This
breakdown process involves numerous chemical reactions, and aims to the absorption of
substances which are essential to a body operation. It is worth considering that the main
route of absorption of these substances is through a balanced diet (Schirber, 2009).
To exemplify these reactions, which are coordinated by the human brain, consider
the action of eating. When a person just thinks about eating anything, his or her brain
processes information that something is going to be eaten, studies the composition of it and
prepares his or her mouth to receive the food. How does it happen? The answer is simple.
Naturally, the human mouth contains a solution called saliva, which is responsible
for starting to breakdown all the food which comes into contact with it. The aim is to turn the
food into nutrients that are necessary for the human body (Almeida et all, 2008). However,
salivas composition can slightly change depending of what is going to be eaten. For
example, when a person thinks about eating something acid such as an orange or a salad
with vinegar, his or her brain will automatically send an order to increase the quantity of
Chemistry and life 8

bases in his or her saliva. This way, the acid present in the food will be stabilized, at least
partially, before the food reaches the intestine, where other chemicals will make the final
breakdown of the food (Boron & Boulpaep, 2011). If it did not happen, the human stomach
would receive the food as acid as it is naturally, and everyone would suffer from health
problems such as gastritis.

How do we explain love?
Who has never felt heart racing, hands sweating, butterflies in the stomach and a
sensation that it is impossible to say something when close to someone? Well, this feeling,
which is sometimes called love and sometimes called passion, is also a matter of self-
questioning like Why do I like that person? or Will I ever stop loving him/her?. Although
many people believe that there is no explanation to love, in recent years scientists have
proven the opposite.
Love nowadays is known as one of the basic brain systems which are involved in
the human reproduction. If humans did not fell in love with others, reproduction would occur
just by sex proposers, and people would not save energy and time focusing themselves to
just one partner (Dulton, n.d.). When people say there is a chemistry between us, referring
to their feeling relegated with others, they are not just saying a common expression, they
are truly referring to facts. When people fell in love, they bodies chemistry changes and
parts of their brains shut down, while other parts are activated (Fletcher, 2012).
Between trillions of chemical substances present in a human body, dopamine is the
main player in the love action. This hormone is responsible for the feeling of happiness, and
it is present in high quantities during the loving time. Divided into two stages, love can be
Chemistry and life 9

either intense and exciting as in the early stage, which longs from two to three years, or
romantic and secure, as in the long-term love. Dopamine can be present in both stages
(Deza, n.d.).
Another chemical with an important role on loving is adrenaline. This hormone is
the one which provokes heart races, palms sweat and mouth goes dry when people are
close to the loved person (Fletcher, 2012). Adrenaline is mainly present in the first stage of
love, but may also be present in the second one. Norepinephrine is a hormone which
function is similar to adrenaline. It has been recently studied, and may be the reason why
people feel hot and flustered when that special person notices them (Deza, n.d.).
Working with these chemicals mentioned above, oxytocins is a hormone present in
the long-term stage of love, and it is responsible for the feeling of tranquillity. It bonds
couples togethers and makes them to exchange a party for a time at home in a movies
nights sharing cuddles (Deza, n.d.). Another chemical really important is serotonin. Its
paper is making people feel relaxed and happy. However, during the stages of love,
serotonin levels can fell in a similar way to those seen in people with obsessive-compulsive
disorder, explaining why love can make people feel anxious and jittery (Fletcher, 2012).

Is it possible to control the intensity of love?
When people are in love, a part of the human brain located in the frontal cortex
which works on judgment closes down, and also the area which controls fear and other
negative emotions (Fletcher, 2012). This may make people think that they will never stop
loving someone, however it is not true. As well as love can be maintained, it may also be
stopped. The process to do both requires time and determination.
Chemistry and life 10

First of all, love can be not noticed if people are too busy at work, enmeshed in
another relationship, or otherwise preoccupied. It means that sometimes peoples lover may
be next them all the time and they will realise it (Dulton, n.d.). At a first moment, love can be
confused with lust, but lust usually dissipates after having sex. Love, on the other hand, can
intensify after it. In addition, people can feel lust for several others at the same time, but
love is possessive.
Love can happen at first sight or may be created by doing things together. It is
because novelty and excitement all drive up the activity of dopamine and norepinephrine in
the brain. These neurotransmitters are associated with energy, elation, focused attention
and motivation, which are central traits of romantic love. This way, as people do novel
things together, these chemicals hop into action and may just push them over the threshold
to fell in love (Dulton, n.d.).
On the other side, when love is not reciprocated, it may trigger physiological
diseases such as depression. This is because loving feelings are biologically similar to a
cocaine high, and many people are also addicted to their lovers. The first step to stop loving
someone is to avoid any and every kind of thing which reminds you of the loved person,
such as photos, letters, facebook and messages. As well as this, it is recommended to go
for a walk and be exposed to sunshine (Dulton, n.d.).

CONCLUSION
Chemistry is present in everyones life, there is no doubt about that. However, no
everyone knows how it is acting daily in our body and in the nature. Chemicals are
producing each second billions of chemical reactions, which are essential to a body
Chemistry and life 11

operation. There are many specific reactions to each one of a body function, going from the
food digestion to the action of falling in love.
An adult human body requires at least 20 different chemicals, which compose
billions of molecules, to have a perfect operation. These chemicals, such as iron, zinc,
magnesium and calcium, need to be absorbed by daily food intake, once that the quantities
in which many of them are present in a human body are not enough to supply all the bodys
necessities.
Talking about love, there are some chemical substances which are known as the
love substances, and are the responsible for the love action. Molecules such as dopamine,
adrenaline, serotonin and norepinephrine coordinate in a human body the feelings of
nervous, emotion, calm and many others, which make human feel what is called love, or
passion. These feeling are essential to an adult human, considering the fact that they make
humans save time and energy while focusing their life in just one person, what is favourable
to reproduction.


Chemistry and life 12

REFERENCES
Almeida, P. D. V.; Grgio, A. M. T., Machado, M. A. N.; Lima, A. A. S.; Azevedo, L. R.
(2008). Saliva Composition and Functions: A Comprehensive Review. Retrieved
from http://oralpathol.dlearn.kmu.edu.tw, on January 16, 2014.
Boron, W. F.; Boulpaep, E. L. (2011). Composition, function, and control of salivary
secretion. Medical Physiology. 2
nd
edition. Elsevier.
Deza, D. How love changes your body chemistry. Retrieved from
http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20568672,00.html, on January 21, 2014.
Dutton, J. (n.d.). Love, Explained. Retrieved from
http://www.chemistry.com/datingadvice/LoveExplained, on January 20, 2014.
Fletcher, V. (2012). Crazy in love: What happens in your brain when you really do have
chemistry. Retrieved from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-
2230969/Crazy-love-What-happens-brain-really-chemistry.html, on January 20,
2014.
General Chemistry Virtual Textbook (2011). What is Chemistry all about? An
introduction to chemical science. Retrieved from
http://www.chem1.com/acad/webtext/pre/chemsci.html#PageTop, on January 15,
2014.
Lupien, J. R. (1997). Human nutrition in the developing world. Retrieved from
http://portals.wi.wur.nl/foodnut/latham/Lathamtoc.htm#TopOfPage, on January
15, 2014.
RSC Advancing the Chemical Sciences (n.d.). Introduction to body chemistry. Retrieved
Chemistry and life 13

from http://www.rsc.org/, on January 13, 2014.
Rogers, E.; Stovall, I.; Jones, L.; Chabay, R.; Kean, E.; Smith, S. (2000). Fundamentals
of Chemistry. Retrieved from
http://chem.wisc.edu/deptfiles/genchem/sstutorial/FunChem.htm, on January 15,
2014.
Rubin, A. L. (n.d.). What are the functions of calcium in the body? Retrieved from
http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/what-are-the-functions-of-calcium-in-
the-body.html, on January 16, 2014.
Schirber, M. (2009). The chemistry of life: the human body. Retrieved from
http://www.livescience.com/3505-chemistry-life-human-body.html, on January 13,
2014.