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Paracetamol (fever and pain-reducing medication) - Chloe

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Paracetamol (fever and pain-reducing medication) - Chloe

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Paracetamol (also known as acetaminophen) is a very common painkiller that is used for mild-moderate pain relief (e.g. headaches, muscle aches) and reducing fevers and colds, similar to aspirin. It is also sometimes combined with other painkillers and an ingredient in many common cold and flu medicines. Paracetamol works by blocking chemical messengers in the brain that tell us when we have pain and alters the chemical messengers in an area of the brain that regulates body temperatures, in order to relieve pain and reduce high temperatures.

The synthesis of paracetamol occurs when reacting 4-aminophenol (an amine) with acetic acid (an acid anhydride), and this reaction forms an amide bond. The balanced chemical equation for paracetamol is:
C₆H₇NO + C₄H₆O₃ → C₈H₉NO₂ + C₂H₄O₂

The elements that are involved in this reaction include carbon (group 4 non-metal), hydrogen (group 1 non-metal), oxygen (group 6 non-metal), as well as nitrogen monoxide. Nitrogen monoxide (also known as nitric oxide) is a covalent compound, since nitrogen and oxygen are both non-metals. Since all of the elements involved in this reaction are non-metals, all of the bonds are covalent.

I found this interesting because I thought that it was really amazing to learn how simple everyday medicines, such as paracetamol, work in order to help others, and I am also personally interested in medicine, so I found it really great to learn about how various chemicals involved in medicine can help to treat people in need.

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Break down of glucose in the human body - Aleeza

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Break down of glucose in the human body - Aleeza

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The process of digestion in the human body contains numerous different chemical reactions.

The formula for the chemical reaction that occurs during the breakdown of glucose in the human body is

C6H12O6 + 6O2 → 6CO2 + 6H2O

The above equation shows what the overall chemical reaction of the breakdown of glucose can be described as, but glucose is not broken down in a single step.

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Equation: C6H12O6 + 6O2
Turns into: 6CO2 + 6H2O

This is combustion.

This is used in the real world to turn the sugar in your body into carbon dioxide and water. The energy when doing this is transformed into ATP.

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Cisplatin is a very strong chemotherapy drug used to treat a variety of cancers, including breast and lung cancer. Cisplatin is the most common and widely used chemotherapy drug, but it has many toxic side effects.

Cisplatin is formed when platinum (Pt) is bonded to 2 atoms of chloride (Cl) and ammonia (NH₃). It is prepared with potassium tetrachloroplatinate. The balanced chemical equation for cisplatin is shown below:
K₂PtCl₄ + 2NH₃ ----> 2KCl + Pt (NH₃)₂Cl2

The chemicals involved in this reaction include potassium, platinum, chlorine, and ammonia. Ammonia is considered covalent and it is un-ionized. It is formed by a triple bond of nitrogen and hydrogen. Potassium is a group 1 metal, platinum is a transition metal, and chlorine is a non-metal.

Cisplatin is able to prevent DNA replication in cancer cells (this means that cells will not continue to divide uncontrollably). It does so because of a replacement reaction with DNA, which is due to the bond formed between platinum and nitrogen (found in ammonia).

This is interesting to me as I find it fascinating how a chemical reaction like this is able to help treat cancer. It is amazing how chemistry works, and how the bonding between elements is able to save lives. Medicine is very interesting to me in general and I think the applications of chemical reactions, specifically those prevalent in medicine can truly be life-changing.

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Oxidation of Jewelry (Tarnished Jewelry) - Emma N

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Oxidation of Jewelry (Tarnished Jewelry) - Emma N

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oxidation is a single displacement reaction that occurs when a mollecule, atom, or ion, loses electrons during a reaction. For example silver jewelry reacts with moisture and sulfur in the air and tarnishes.
Chemial equation balanced:
4Ag + 2H₂S + O₂ --> 2Ag₂S + 2H₂O

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Oxidation occurs when an unstable atom loses an electron, allowing it to bond and form a new compound with another element. When hair is lightened, the natural melanin pigments in the hair undergo a redox (reduction) reaction through a combination of hydrogen peroxide and ammonia. The bonds that are broken down are covalent bonds, since melanin is made up of a combination of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen atoms:

Chemicals involved:
Melanin is C₁₈H₁₀N₂O₄
Hydrogen peroxide is H₂O₂
Ammonia is NH₃

There are 2 chemical reactions that occur when you bleach/lighten your hair. The first one is
NH3 +2(H₂O₂₎ -->  NH3 + 2(H₂O) + O₂

The second reaction is:
NH3 + H₂O + 18(O₂) + C₁₈H₁₀N₂O4 -->
3(NH₃) + 4(H₂O) + 2(O₂) + 18(CO₂)

I found this interesting because these reactions helps people to be able to change the colour of their hair, and understanding how the reactions works would help colourists to be able to do their job, as they would know how much of each chemical to use when lightening hair.