Chemical Reactions

Nature is wonderful and fascinating. If we can understand the Chemistry that is happening underneath all that you see, smell or taste, it is even more fascinating. The colors and the smells of nature bring subtle messages of infinite variety. The basis for all this variety is the myriad transformations at the molecular level. A firefly emits light due to a chemical reaction in which a compound called luciferin is converted to oxyluciferin. The flavour of vanilla, for example is perceived when the compound, vanillin is absorbed by the sensory organs. The flavour of chocolate is based on not just one but a wide assortment of carbon based molecules, significant one being tetramethylpylazine, which has a ring of nitrogen and carbon atoms attached in a particular fashion. Life on Earth would not have evolved but for photosynthesis in plants. Photosynthesis is a chemical reaction by which plants are able to convert carbon dioxide and water into sugar and oxygen in presence of sunlight. So, to appreciate and understand the world around us, it is essential to understand the laws that govern the innumerable possible combinations of the basic elements of nature.

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