http://www.ck12.org Chapter 1. Introduction to Chemistry
FIGURE 1.
This city bus is powered by biofuel derived
from soybean oil.Medicine
Advances in medicine over the last century have dramatically increased lifespans and improved our quality of life.
Chemists are at the forefront of many of these medical breakthroughs and improvements. Medical researchers work
with doctors to gain a better understanding of biological processes that occur in the human body. Today, thousands of
prescription and over-the-counter drugs are available to treat everything from a simple headache to major infections,
high blood pressure, depression, and a host of other ailments. Drugs work because of their interactions with other
chemicals in the body. Chemists are constantly working to improve existing drugs, to design new and better drugs,
and to further their understanding of the chemical mechanisms by which drugs perform their functions.
Chemists are also involved in designing materials that are used to repair or replace body parts. Artificial hips and
knees can be inserted into a person’s body so that he or she can walk without pain (Figure1.5). Burn victims benefit
from replacement skin. Diseased arteries can be replaced with plastic tubing that must be able to withstand the harsh
environment found inside a human body without degrading or malfunctioning.
FIGURE 1.
A prosthetic hip made of titanium, with a
ceramic head and a polyethylene cup.