We are made of chemicals. Understanding chemistry helps us understand our bodies, and keeps us healthy.

Your bones are made of calcium phosphate. Your blood has iron in it to carry oxygen. The oxygen is needed for your cells to burn the glucose fuel they use for energy. The cells are enclosed in membranes made up of phospholipid molecules, and they function using enzymes made up of protein. More protein makes up your muscles, skin, and hair. Chemistry happens all throughout your body.

You can change the chemistry of your body. For example, the proteins in your hair can be changed to have more connections between them. This is done by adding chemicals to the hair to get a “permanent” wave to curl the hair. You can add fluorine to your teeth to make them less prone to cavities.