Role Of Chemistry In Everyday Life

Chemistry finds a wide variety of applications in day today’s life. Chemistry has also
found solutions for improvements in sanitation, water purification and personal hygiene,
leading to better Chemistry has played a vital role in improving the quality of human life.
Number of substances which we use in our daily life are chemical compounds. The huge
number of materials such as detergents, paints, fibres, medicines, fuels, glass, pesticides,
papers, fertilizers, oils, fats, etc. are very essential for our daily life. These materials are
directly or indirectly linked with the knowledge of chemistry. Chemistry has helped in
overcoming a large number of problems faced by the mankind in the recent past, in the
field of food, shelter and disease. Chemistry is not alien to us. Chemistry is in our body.
Chemistry is outside our body and chemistry is around us. Tooth paste contains
chemicals such as monoflurophosphate, sodium sulphate etc. Next we wash with water.
Water is a chemical contains 2 parts hydrogen and one part oxygen. The milk that we
drink contains calcium which is a chemical. Our body contains many amino acids to
help in digestive system.

Importance of Chemistry in our Daily Life (chemistry in Daily Life)

• Chemistry in daily life follows us as we bathe, cook and wash.
• When we bathe we use soap made out of vegetable oil and some chemicals.
• Neem oil contains certain antibacterial chemical and so neem soap is good
protecting us from bacteria, and itches.
• Glycerine soap keeps our skin smooth and blemishes.
• We also have medicated soaps prescribed by the doctors for skin infections.
• The grains such as rice and wheat contain starch which is a long chain of
hydrocarbons.These carbohydrates help the children to grow.
• Next pulses supply proteins, Green leafy vegetables give us the necessary iron to
supply the blood
• The iodised salt is a necessary intake. It prevents a disease called goitre.
• The vegetables also contain chemicals for cooling the body. Vitamins are
supplied by them.
• Vincarosea is a chemical found in a certain flower. It is a good cure for blood
diseases and it is antipoison

• Onion and garlic contain certain chemical properties that purifies the blood.
• Safron is antibacterial. That is why we add it in our food preparation.
• Ginger contains certain oil that gets rid of the extra air in our system
• Sarpagandhi Rawolfia Serpentina is a root. It reduces blood pressure,It is a
remedy for blood cancer and asthma. It also cures skin cancer and mental
 diseases.
• soda is a chemicals which cleans up our daily clothes effectively.Bleaching
powder is also used for cleaning purpose. It is antobacterial. Even drinking water
stored for the city is cleaned up with bleaching powder before it reaches the
city.
• Hospitals and health centers use a lot of chemicals in medicine form to treat
sickness.

Impotance of Chemistry in Daily Life Outside Home.:-

• The paints and varnished we use to paint our home are achemical mixtures. The
redoxide that we use to protect our ironrailings contains iron oxide which offers a
protective layer over the irons.
• In the garden we use sprays to kill insects from attacking our plants.
• Vermiwash is a liquid fertilizer. It isused as a leaf spray.
• Azdirachtin is a biopesticide .
• Air is a mixture of gases. It contains the life supporting oxygen for human kind
and nitrogen for plants.In villages the air is pure. There are trees that supply
oxygen to man. In return man gives carbondioxide to them whichis essential tp
plants and trees. Nature has arranged this exchange program so that both man and
nature live peacefullyside by side.But todays vehicles which consume petrol and
diesel emit out green house gases dangerous for the survival on earth.Due to these
grees house gases, a hole has appeared in the ozone layer that protects us from
UV rays.As a result global warming has taken place which is a destroyer of the
planet earth.The other chemicals that add to this disaster are the ones we use in
our refrigerator, airconditoner etc.Chemistry in daily life is good as long as it
balnces the nature.When nature is outbalanced by these cheimcals, it becomes a
disaster.
Chemistry not only helps us make products for use, but it also helps us understand
the world around us. Chemistry helps us understand what the ozone layer is and
how it protects us. Chemistry also gave us sunscreen, to protect us from the sun.
Thanks to chemistry, we know not to mix bleach with vinegar, because toxic
chlorine gas is released. Without chemistry, we wouldn't have light bulbs or
fireworks.
Chemistry for Dinner
Chemistry plays a big role in food preparation. Cooking food causes it to go through a
chemical change, which is why cooked food often tastes different from raw food. Baking
is a great example of chemistry, and it's just as precise. Too much or too little of any
ingredient throws off the reactions needed for baking. The dough won't rise or the cake
will be flat.
Our understanding of chemistry gives us the technology to add vitamins to food. Vitamin
water and vitamin-fortified cereal are both examples of chemistry in food. When soda
fizzes up, that-s chemistry too.
Using chemistry allows us to understand that ice floats because it is less dense than the
water that created it. Chemistry also tells us which salt to use to melt ice in winter, and
why leaves change color in autumn.
Chemistry isn't something that just lives in a lab, it's something that you encounter
hundreds of times every day. Knowing how chemistry works will give you a greater
appreciation of the complex processes behind some of the simplest-looking things.
Something as simple as toothpaste involves at least three chemicals, if not more. It is the
mixture of fluoride, peroxide and baking soda and its chemical reaction that keeps your
teeth clean.
Other items you use everyday that are created by chemistry include hair products,
shampoo, gasoline and soap. Adding detergent to water involves chemistry. Without
chemistry, we never would have figured out that you need soap to get the oil and grime
out of clothes or skin.

Chemicals in Medicines and Health Care

Medicine is a chemical substance of natural or synthetic origin which cures the disease
and is safe to use. The branch of science which deals with the treatment of diseases using
suitable chemicals is known as chemotherapy. In this chapter, we are discussing some
specific classes of medicines used in allopathy.

Tranquilizers
Tranquilizers are the chemical substances used for the treatment of mental diseases.
Tranquilizers act on the central nervous system (CNS) and help in reducing stress and
fatigue by inducing a sense of well being. These are also called as psychotherapeutic
drugs. The most commonly used tranquilizers are derivatives of barbituric acid such as
veronol, luminal, amytal, nembutal, Seconal. These derivatives are called barbiturates.
Barbiturates are hypnotic i.e. sleep producing agents. A large number of non-hypnotic
tranquilizers are also known. To relieve tension, mild tranquilizers such as
chlordiazepoxide and meprobamate are used. Equanil is used in controlling depression
and hypertension.

Antiseptic And Disinfectants

Antiseptics are the chemical compounds which either kill or prevent the growth of micro-
organisms. Antiseptics are safe to be applied to living tissues. They are generally applied
on wounds, cuts, ulcers and diseased skin surfaces in the form of antiseptic creams like
furacin, soframycin. Antiseptics are also used to reduce odours resulting from bacterial
decomposition on the body or in the mouth. Thus, antiseptics are added to deodorants,
face powders and breath purifiers.
A well-known antiseptic is dettol. It is a mixture of chloroxylenol and terpeneol.
Bithional is well-known antiseptic which is added to good quality soaps to reduce the
odour produced by bacterial decomposition of organic matter on the skin. Iodine acts as a
powerful antiseptic. It is used as a tincture iodine. It is a 2 to 3% solution of iodine in
alcohol and water. Iodoform (CHI3) which produces iodine in coming in contact with
skin is used as a antiseptic powder for wounds. Dilute aqueous solution of boric acid is
also used as a antiseptic for eyes. Hydrogen peroxide is used as an antiseptic under the
name perhydrol for washing wounds, teeth and ears.
Disinfectants are chemical substances which kill micro-organisms but they are not safe to
be applied to the living tissues. They are generally used to kill micro-organisms present
in diainage systems, floor, instruments, etc. The same substance can act as antiseptic as
well as disinfectants depending upon the concentration of the substance used. For
example, 0.2% solution of phenol acts as a antiseptic. Whereas 1% solution of phenol
acts as a disinfectant. A low concentration of chlorine i.e. 0.2 to 0.4 parts per million
(ppm) is used as a disinfectant for drinking water. A low concentration of sulphur dioxide
is used for sterilising squashes for preservation.

Antibiotics
Antibiotics are defined as chemical substances produced by microorganisms such as
bacteria, fungi and mould, that can inhibit the growth or even destroy other micro-
organisms. The antibiotic therapy is like using one thief against another. This is because
antibiotics themselves are products of microbial growth. Number of antibiotics were
synthesized over recent past. Due to which, modified definition of antibiotics is, chemical
substances (produced wholly or partly by chemical synthesis) which in low
concentration, either kill or inhibit the growth of micro-organisms by intervening in their
metabolic processes. The first antibiotic penicillin was discovered by Alexandar Fleming
in 1929. It was obtained from the mould Penicillium notatum.
In India, penicillin is manufactured at Hindustan Antibiotics in Pimpri near Pune and at
Indian Drugs and Pharmaceuticals Rishikesh.
Antibiotics can be either bactericidal or bacteriostatic.
Penicillin is a very effective drug for pneumonia, bronchitic, sour throat, abcesses and
other infectious diseases caused by various cocci, some gram positive bacteria.
The full range of micro-organisms attacked by an antibiotic is called its spectrum, e.g.
Tetracycline, Chloramphenicol is a broad spectrum antibiotic isolated in 1947. It is
rapidly absorbed from the gastro-intestinal tract and hence can be given orally in case of
typhoid, dysentrybasic health for the whole human race. In fact everything that we use in
our daily life is a chemical. Sugar, starch, vegetable oils, ghee, essential oils, tannery,
paper, plastics, medicines, soap, cosmetics, rubber, fabrics, dyes, plastics, paints,
explosives, petroleum products are based on chemical processes.
CONCLUSION
Chemistry finds a wide variety of applications in day today’s life. Chemistry has also
found solutions for improvements in sanitation, water purification and personal hygiene,
leading to better Chemistry has played a vital role in improving the quality of human life.
Number of substances which we use in our daily life are chemical compounds. The huge
number of materials such as detergents, paints, fibres , medicines, fuels, glass, pesticides,
papers, fertilizers, oils, fats, etc. are very essential for our daily life. These materials are
directly or indirectly linked with the knowledge of chemistry. Chemistry has helped in
overcoming a large number of problems faced by the mankind in the recent past, in the
field of food, shelter and disease. To a common man, however, this contribution of
chemistry remains unknown though not unnoticed. The simple fact is that chemistry
plays an important role in every person's daily activities from the moment we're born.
Almost anything you do during the course of a normal day involves chemistry in some
way. The gas and tires in cars we drive, the makeup we put on our faces, the soaps and
cleaners used everyday, burning wood or other fossil fuels, chemistry is all around you
each and every day. The associations are practically limitless. So, as you go about your
daily activities, remember to thank chemistry. As my teacher always says, remember,
"CHEMISTRY IS LIFE!"