Chapter 2: Basic Chemistry

Many short courses in anatomy and physiology lack the time to consider chemistry as a topic. So why include it here? The answer is simple. The food you eat and the medicines you take when you are ill are composed of chemicals. Indeed, your entire body is made up of chemicals—thousands of them—continuously interacting with another at an incredible pace.

Although it is possible to study anatomy without much reference to chemistry, chemical reactions underlie all body processes-movement, digestion, the pumping of your heart, and even your thoughts. This chapter presents the basics of chemistry and biochemistry (the chemistry of living material), providing the background you will need to understand body functions.