Chapter 1, Section 2
Medicine and Biotechnology
No field has benefited more from advances in chemistry than medicine. Chemistry supplies the medicines, materials, and technology that doctors use to treat their patients. Work in the field of medicine is often done by biochemists. Their overall goal is to understand the structure of matter found in the human body and the chemical changes that occur in cells. To accomplish their goal, they work with biologists and doctors.
Medicines
There are over 2000 prescription drugs. They are designed to treat various conditions including infections, high blood pressure, and depression. Other drugs, such as aspirin and antacids, can be sold without a prescription. Many drugs are effective because they interact in a specific way with chemicals in cells. Knowledge of the structure and function of these target chemicals helps a chemist design safe and effective drugs.
Materials
Chemistry can supply materials to repair or replace body parts. Diseased arteries can be replaced with plastic tubes. Artificial hips and knees made from metals and plastics can replace worn-out joints and allow people to walk again without pain. Burn patients may benefit from a plastic “skin” that can heal itself when the plastic cracks. Chemicals that repair the damage are released from tiny capsules in the plastic.
Biotechnology
Figure 1.9a shows a model of a small piece of DNA. Segments of DNA called genes store the information that controls changes that take place in cells. From 1990 to 2003, scientists worldwide worked on the Human Genome Project. They identified the genes that comprise human DNA—about 30,000. They determined the sequence of the genes in DNA. Some tools these scientists developed are used in biotechnology.
Biotechnology applies science to the production of biological products or processes. It uses techniques that can alter the DNA in living organisms. It may depend on the transfer of genes from one organism to another. When genes from humans are inserted into bacteria, the bacteria act as factories. They produce chemicals of importance to humans, such as insulin, which is used to treat some types of diabetes. Production takes place in large versions of the bioreactors in Figure 1.9b. In the future, scientists expect to use gene therapy to treat some diseases. A gene that is not working properly would be replaced with one that will work properly.
Figure 1.9 The discovery of the structure of DNA led to the development of biotechnology. (a) This computer graphics model shows a small segment of DNA. (b) The conditions in a bioreactor are controlled so that the bacteria produce as much of the product as possible.