The Chemical Basis of Life - In our journey toward a more scientific understanding of life, we must first place ourselves in the world of the nonliving the world of atoms, molecules, and the chemicals of life. How did an atom become "Adam"? In order to answer that question, we have to understand and visualize the atomic world and the relationships among matter, energy, and life. That means we have to understand chemistry. Obviously, those biologists whose work involves observing animals as they interact with each other and with their environment can do their work without emphasizing the chemical reactions that produce the phenomenon we call life. However, it is biochemistry the chemistry of life that has brought us many of the major advances in medicine and a more thorough understanding of life processes. Life is truly a chemical phenomenon.
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To understand the part that chemistry plays in biology, we must begin with the smallest parts. What are atoms and molecules, and how are they involved in producing the life within us? In a sense, we are all chemical machines designed to incubate the self-replicating molecule, DNA. We make our living by controlling, through DNA, the myriad of chemical reactions that result in life.
Although chemistry may seem difficult or beyond your abilities, it is an interesting human endeavor in its own right. As a biologist, I feel that chemistry is even more interesting when we discuss how it applies to life. So we will now look at chemistry, only to the degree that is necessary to understand biological processes. To learn more, you will need to explore the topic in advanced courses in biochemistry.
(Source: Avila, Vernon L. Biology : Investigating Life On Earth Jones and Bartlett/Bookmark Series in Biology).
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