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2.1: Why It Matters- The Chemistry of Life

  • Page ID
    35661
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    Why learn about chemistry?

    You may have heard the phrase “carbon-based life” when people discuss life on earth. Carbon is an element—one of the basic substances everything is made up of—but just what it mean to say life is “carbon-based”?

    In order to understand this concept, we’ll need to understand more about elements, which means learning about chemistry. While chemistry is a separate field, its principles form the basis of biology. As you learned in the last chapter, all living things demonstrate hierarchical organization. You cannot truly understand the higher levels of organization (such as organisms or ecosystems) without understanding their component parts (like cells, molecules, and atoms).

    Professionals who use this chemistry in their daily work include nutritionists, healthcare workers (especially when prescribing and administering medications), geneticists, and pharmacologists.

    Try It

    Nutritionists are often responsible for planning healthy menus and meal plans, for example in schools or daycares. They may advise individuals on changes in diet in order to achieve a particular health goal. Why do you think they might need to know about chemistry?

    Contributors and Attributions

    CC licensed content, Original
    • Why It Matters: The Chemistry of Life. Authored by: Shelli Carter and Lumen Learning. Provided by: Lumen Learning. License: CC BY: Attribution
    All rights reserved content
    • That's Why Carbon Is A Tramp. Provided by: CrashCourse. Located at: https://youtu.be/QnQe0xW_JY4. Project: Crash Course Biology. License: All Rights Reserved. License Terms: Standard YouTube License

    2.1: Why It Matters- The Chemistry of Life is shared under a CC BY license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by LibreTexts.

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