Chemistry in Daily Life

Unit 4

Chemistry in Daily Life

Learning Objectives

*Understand the meaning of Medicines, Antibiotics, Analgesics, Antiseptics, Antihistamines, Antacids and Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS).

* Understands combustion and its types

* Recognizes flame and its structure.

Introduction

During the Bangladesh liberation war, Therapy with Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS) in 1971 reduced cholera death rates from 50% to 3% among thousands of refugees. An Indian doctor, Dilip Mahalanabis, had to manage the shortage of saline bottles and coup up with the dehydration faced by the refuges. Dr. DilipMahalanabis showed the efficacy of ORS in cholera cases among Bangladeshi refugees (1971-72). Further field trial during the cholera epidemic in Manipur attested to its efficacy, ORS has since saved the lives of millions of children around the world.

Look at the above information. What do you infer from this? Now you get the curiosity to know about ORS and its function. Don’t you? In addition to this, let us know about some of the common medicines and how do they work.

In the normal healthy intestine, there is a continuous exchange of water through the intestinal wall. Up to 20 liters of water is secreted and very nearly as much is reabsorbed every 24 hours. This mechanism allows the absorption of soluble metabolites into the bloodstream from digested food. However when a person becomes sick, due to diarrhea, water is expelled and the body is not able to retain the liquid balance. This is called as ‘dehydration’. It is not the diarrhea that kills, but the dehydration’ resulting from the infection that kills. If more than 10% of the body’s fluid is lost death occurs.