Chemical Reactions Introduction
In A Nutshell
Are chemical reactions things that just happen inside of a test tube? Is there a reason to learn about this stuff at all? Would you be willing to give up chemistry to avoid the subject altogether? Here are some things to think about when deciding whether chemical reactions are worth spending time learning about.
Do you enjoy eating raw meat? Cooking requires a little thing we like to call combustion, which is a common type of chemical reaction. Also, no combustion means no driving. Gasoline is an important component to the combustion inside engines.
How do trees grow? What about flowers? Vegetables of any kind? All of these plants require photosynthesis, which is a chemical reaction that plants use to grow. Plants that rely on photosynthesis for survival produce grains, sugar, and many other goodies. Without chemical reactions, cookies just wouldn't be the same.
Since we're talking about biology, what about breathing? Both aerobic and anaerobic respiration are examples of chemical reactions.
Hopefully that is all convincing evidence that we actually do need chemistry. It is impressive to know a thing or two about them, too, since they are so important.
