Contribution of chemistry in medicine

Answer 1

Chemistry is a huge part of medicine, both as a diagnostic and treatment tool. Chemistry departments in hospital medical labs analyze blood, urine, etc. for proteins, sugars (glucose in the urine is a sign of Diabetes), and other metabolic and inorganic substances. Electrolyte tests are a routine blood analysis, testing things like potassium and sodium. Most medications are involved with inhibiting a specific enzyme or the expression of a gene. Blocking an enzyme's active site requires a specifically designed "blocker" to disable the enzyme's function. Since enzymes are proteins, their functions differ based on shape and inhibitor drugs must be customized for each target enzyme. This requires chemistry! While the concept of RNA interference (RNAi) is more on the biological side, the engineering of chemicals to inhibit the translation of mRNA into an amino acid sequence by ribosomes requires chemistry. In RNAi, a designed piece of double-stranded RNA literally chops up mRNA to prevent it from undergoing translation.

Answer 2

Chemistry is important to understanding the function of the endocrine system. It also helps practitioners understand how pharmaceutical drugs work and to prescribe the correct ones in the correct doses.

Answer 3

Medications are manufactured via chemical processes and compounding. Without chemistry, there would be no medication. As for nutrition, an understanding of nutrition in the body requires an understanding of biochemistry.

While the above response is technically correct, the answer is far from complete. The basis of medicine as a science IS chemistry. EVERY function in the human body is the result of a chemical reaction. Every movement, every decision, every beat of your heart, every experience of pain or pleasure. Whether you stop bleeding when you cut your finger, or whether you are able to make energy from the food you eat. Whether or not you are chronically depressed, or if you have high blood pressure. Whether you will go into labor at the right time, or three months early, or whether you get pregnant at all. Whether you have an allergic response to a food. Whether waste products stay in your bloodstream, or are eliminated from your body. All chemistry.

Your body is made up entirely of chemicals in an almost infinite number of compounds, and there are more chemicals at work ensuring that everything functions properly. When it doesn't, there's an underlying chemically-based reason, and scientists have worked for years developing medications from chemicals to correct these malfunctions. Those who state that they avoid chemicals, and take only natural remedies, are misinformed. Many pharmaceutical medications contain ingredients from plants and herbs because, like everything else on earth, they are made from, and produce, chemicals.