C.+Chemical+Aspects+of+Physiology

**CHEMICAL ASPECTS OF PHYSIOLOGY **


We are use to looking at ourselves and others by the outside of our body. Hair, eyes, and height for examples. However, do you know what is going on the inside of us? Our body's as an entire whole is like a huge busy non-stop CIRCUS that is made up of a vast chemical composition. This large platter of chemical composition help us maintain a working order to function and live. Below, are three of the main areas that I personally felt were important and interesting when looking into what is going on inside our body.

__**I. pH **__ What is pH? Well, pH is a well known symbol used to express the hydrogen ion (H+) concentration in a solution. A technical pH scale is classifies a range of 0 to 14. Solutions with a pH of 7 are neutral. Solutions with pH lower than 7 are acidic and solutions with a higher pH of 7 are considered basic or alkaline. Below is an example of some daily examples of food and household items and where they fit on the pH scale. Our blood pH in our body's normal range is 7.35 to 7.45 and can be altered by what is going on in our body. __**﻿ II. CARBOHYDRATES **__ Carbohydrates are an organic molecule that contain carbon, hydrogen and oxygen in a 1:2:1 ratio. Carbohydrates is our body's source of energy. It is the fuel for our body to burn. There are three subdivisions of carbohydrates. A. Monosaccharides: They also are called simple sugars and the "monomer of the more complex carbohydrates". Examples would be galactose, glucose and fructose. B. Disaccharides: Also known as "double sugars" and they yield two simple sugars upon hydrolysis. C. Polysaccharides: They are a carbohydrate formed by covalent bonding of many simple sugars. Examples of polysaccharides would include glycogen and starch.

Example of a Glucose Molecule:

__**III. LIPIDS **__ Lipids are a diverse group of organic molecules that share the physical property of being insoluble in water, which is being non-polar. The reason they are non-polar is because they are made up of mainly chains and rings that are hydrophobic. Lipids are like our fuel reserves in our body. They can be broken into several smaller categories: A. Triglycerides: The lipids that contain oil and fat with three fatty acid molecules joined to a molecule of glycerol. B. Ketone Bodies: A Smaller group of fatty acids that include four-carbon-long acidic molecules and acetone. C. Phospholipids: They are phosphate-containing lipids that have a hydrophilic polar group. Lecithin is a good example of phospholipid. <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 140%;">D. Steroids: They have a typical four-ring structure as a lipid. <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 140%;">E. Prostaglandins: They are a family of cyclic fatty acids that help maintain many regulatory functions in our body.

<span style="color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; text-align: center;">Testosterone Molecule (Steroid)



<span style="color: #008000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">__**APPLICATION:**__ This is another great key section that relates to my career goal of becoming a pharmacist. For example, cholesterol is a main focus when it comes to drug therapy. There are drugs that can raise and lower your cholesterol. Some drugs are focused on lowering your cholesterol like any of the -statin drugs like lovastatin, pravastatin and simvastatin. However, a drug like prednisone that is used typically to decrease inflammation and swelling can actually raise your cholesterol. Pharmacist moniter test results like a lipid panel to access what drug the patient should be on and what dosage. They also look for interactions between several drugs a patient may be on to maintain the best patient care and create safe treatment. Medications have been able to maintain and improve people's cholesterol to enable a better overall healthy lifestyle.

__**<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 140%;">ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS: **__ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 140%;">*Describe buffers, their importance, and the buffering system (bicarbonate/carbonic acid) used in the blood to regulate the narrow range of pH in the blood. What is the difference between acidosis and alkalosis? <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 140%;">Buffers main duty is to prevent changes in H+ concentration and acts to stabalize the pH in a solution. They are made up of a system of molecules and ions. Regarding our blood pH level maintence, the reversible reaction between bicarbonate and carbonic acid allows stability. They are a buffer pair that are able to restore equillibrium if there is an imbalance in our pH level in our blood. Acidosis is when our blood level increases above the normal range of 7.45 and acidosis is when our blood pH level falls below the normal range of 7.35. Our normal pH blood level is 7.35-7.45 range.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 140%;">*What are enzymes? What role do they play in human physiology? <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 140%;">Enzymes are a protein catalyst that increases the rate of a specific chemical reaction. Enzymes are a main key part of our body's physiology. They are a key helper in allowing us to breathe, eat and swallow for a few examples. We need enzymes to facilitate several processes in our body like digesting our food. I would explain an enzyme like a car key. We can't start our car without the key, we need the enzymes in our body to start and drive our body.

__** Sources: **__ Fox, Stuart Ira. __Human Physiology__, //11th ed.// New York: 2009. http://media.web.britannica.com/eb-media/43/7543-004-D41288EE.jpg http://saltwateraquariumsupplies.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/phscale.jpg http://fitnesslifestylehealthclub.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/glucose-molecule.gif http://www.raw-milk-facts.com/cholesterol_primer_T3.html http://health.howstuffworks.com/medicine/medication/lipitor.htm/printable http://www.enzymeessentials.com/HTML/print_tour.html