IYC Egypt

The international year of chemistry- What place does chemistry hold in Egypt?

Chemistry, ever since its inception when the world came to being has aided us to do marvelous work on this planet. This is the reason why the International Year of Chemistry was founded. This is an organization that is ideally dedicated to celebrating the numerous achievements and the many contributions that chemistry has brought to this planet.  In actual sense the origin for this idea came into the picture in 2006. This was in a meeting between IUPAC executives.  This program is supported by the UN body, UNESCO  IR and mainly works to bring together professionals in the field of chemistry while also creating awareness about the importance and the place that chemistry holds in the world society.

 

2011 was the United Nations International Year of Chemistry (IYC). The aspect of celebrating the International Year of Chemistry is what has also spurred much attention in enthusiasts in the land of the Pharaohs.   The main aim of the IYC FS is to create awareness about the place that chemistry holds in the modern world right from the village up to the global scene.  It is also aimed at creating a sense or feeling of belonging when dealing with chemistry. This is also aimed at ensuring that educational institutions properly take up Chemistry education and that is with much positivity. The advent of the International year of chemistry celebrations has also sparked much interest from parties in Egypt and here we discuss chemistry in Egypt and what has been its place ever since the time of the pharaohs.

 

During the initial stages of chemistry adoption in Egypt, it seemed to be a reserve for priests. Its adoption in the education sector is an aspect that came into play just recently.  Ever since chemistry was adopted on a national scale in the late 19th century, several laboratories have been setup all over the country. These are intended to aid industrial chemical analyses and quality control in manufacturing processes. Even before the 20th century, not many institutions of higher learning in Egypt had really adopted chemistry.  The Cairo University introduced a department of chemistry owing to calls from international organizations.  Today, there are many Universities in the region which have adopted chemical education.  Take a tour round some of the libraries in major campuses in Egypt and you will definitely come across periodicals that are in the chemical context. Owing to the increasing need for chemistry education in Egypt, the Chemical Society was established in 1928. It is also a member of the Arab chemists’ society.   The main function of this society is to foster and create awareness about chemical research among the increasing numbers of chemical engineers and chemists in the country.  Also part of its objective is to encourage the sharing of ideas in order to diversify any possible chances of innovation in the chemical research industry.   Teaching chemistry in Egypt and the place it holds in society is what has contributed to its popularity here.  The desire to learn chemistry is instilled in children in their early education days as well.

 

 The International Year Of Chemistry

People often ask what is the international year of chemistry? The year 2011 has been recognised by the United Nations (UN) organisation as the international year of chemistry. This recognition for chemistry is given jointly by the collaboration of  IUPAC (International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry) and UNESCO (United Nations Education Scientific and Cultural Organisation). The idea for a year long celebration for Chemistry was at first discussed in 2006 during the meeting of the IUPAC OX executive committee. The discussion went into the apex and in the year 2008 the executive board of UNESCO gave the sanction to the proposal proclaiming the year 2011 as an international year of chemistry. One may wonder what is the need of giving so much importance to chemistry and commemorate its achievements by assigning a year as the international year of chemistry. As a matter of fact,  developments in chemistry have changed human life to a great extent.

The proposal to introduce the international year of chemistry 2011 (IYC 2011) was submitted by Ethiopia and it has been co-sponsored by 23 other nations. The theme of IYC 2011 is ” Chemistry-our life,our future”. It gives attention to the achievements of chemistry and the progress it has contributed towards mankind’s life. The aim of such an IYC 2011 is to increase the aspirations of people to know more about this science and contribute more and more for the future development of chemistry. Hydroxatone To fullfil this end, many events are being carried out in different parts of the world by different organisations.

The IYC 2011 offers a year long celebration along with public participation at various levels ranging from the local to the national level. The celebrations include educational, interactive and entertaining activities for all age groups. The year 2011 has a special importance in the history of chemistry. The year 2011 indicates the 100th anniversary of the Nobel prize awarded to Madame Marie Curie. Thereby it has been considered as an opportunity to memorise the contributions of women to science. Apart from that 2011 also marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of IACS (International Association of Chemical Societies). It can be said that this would highlight the merits of collaboration in science in the international arena. Moreover, the year 2011 marks the 100th anniversary of the important scientific meetings of all times, the solvay conferences.

Chemistry is a creative science and its further improvement is essential for the sustainability of human life. Events organised across the globe can explore how chemistry is able to find out the solutions for problems faced by mankind in the fields related with food, energy, health, water,etc. Moreover the IYC 2011 is intended to further improve the international cooperations in chemistry among various organisations including national chemical societies, educational institutions, governmental and non governmental organisations.

The unique closing ceremony of IYC 2011 was conducted in Brussels,Belgium on Dec 1 2011. Eminent people shared their views regarding the achievements of chemistry that have revolutioned human life. People across the globe have realised that chemistry has become the engine for the growth of the economy through out the world. Thus IYC 2011 was a great successful year in promoting the contributions of chemistry.

 

How advancements in chemistry can improve our way of life

Ancient Egypt was home to the oldest practices in the preservation of human bodies. In that time, embalmers used various chemical potions derived from plant and animal sources to preserve human bodies. Their work was an important part of how the society lived because it was steeped in the religious beliefs of the time. They found a way to make chemistry work for them, and hence it is perfectly in order for us to ask ourselves how advancements in chemistry can improve our way of life.

 

First of all, there is a need to appreciate the biggest problems facing humanity today. They include poverty, hunger and disease, and environmental degradation. These are not the only problems we have but they are arguably the biggest ones which if we solve, then the world will become a better place. Some of the solutions lie in the advancement of chemistry. First of all, there is a lot of research going on in the area of material science. Chemistry is fundamental to the understanding of how materials are formed at the atomic and sub atomic level. New materials normally have a radial effect on human life. One of the best examples of this is the plastic revolution. Plastic was almost non existent in the first half of the twentieth century. It has however grown to be one of the most common materials found on the face of the earth. It has applications in industry, housing, medicine, textiles, and electronics, among others. There are services we enjoy today that would not be possible if not for plastic. In the same vein, serious breakthroughs are anticipated in the development of new materials to help solve the problems of housing, energy, medicine, obesity with weight loss products such as african mango extract and acai berry and others. Just one example is the problem of hair loss. It is thanks to Chemistry that products such as Provillus have been developed that can regrow hair. It is thanks to chemistry that medical techniques for taking blood exist including specialized techniques and trainings such as Phlebotomy Training. As you can imagine treatments such as this make an enormous difference to the lives and self-esteem of the individuals that are helped by this treatment and it is all thanks to Chemistry.

 

Waste disposal is also a serious concern the world over. Depending on the nature of waste, there is still a lot that needs to be done to enable humanity to process its waste safely. In particular, the issue of carbon waste remains thorny because there is no cost effective way of dealing with waste. Carbon management technologies using chemical means may hold an answer to this problem. If such a solution comes up, then the world will experience greater growth not limited by the stringent regulations surrounding carbon emissions making production very expensive.

 

In the area of energy, there is dire need for the quick discovery of new energy generation technologies using abundant materials. On one hand, the widely used fossil fuels stand to be depleted at some point hence the need for alternatives. On the other hand, their continued use causes serious environmental degradation. Breakthroughs in chemistry in the areas of fuel cell technologies, and energy storage technologies will go along way in making the production of energy from renewable sources much more effective as an alternative to fossil fuel.

 

Another example of how advancements in chemistry can improve our way of life lies in the area of food production and medicine. Hunger and disease remain chief concerns the world over and any research into ways of eliminating these problems will greatly improve human life. Such advancements will also invigorate research in other areas such as chemical engineering, medicine, social studies and environmental science. It is incumbent upon researchers to pursue these ideals to enable the human race to move forward.

 

 Interesting Careers In Chemistry

Chemistry is important in our daily life as whatever we see around us is made of chemicals and chemistry gives a description of what is happening around us. The digestion of food inside our body, the color change of leaves, cooking food and many more processes involve chemical reactions. The medicines that cure our diseases are chemicals. It is quite interesting to know that while some chemicals are nutrients good for our health some others are pollutants causing harm to us. Chemistry has always been closely related to all the environmental issues. There are many interesting careers in chemistry and chemistry related jobs are high earning.

Careers in chemistry for a degree holder

A chemistry graduate can work as a chemist. Chemists have to develop new products such as resveratrol or improve already existing ones in various industries. Pharmaceutical industries call for analytical chemists who have to work for developing new drugs. A theoretical chemist conducts studies on atoms and molecules and develops energy sources. Another career open for chemistry graduates is that of a biochemist who researches the chemical reactions happening within the body of living organisms like the ones involved in respiration, metabolism and reproduction. Chemistry degree holders can also choose the career of a technician or even managers in laboratories.

A graduate in chemistry can get career opportunities in the food industry. Agricultural and food scientists do a series of tests and determine the nutrient content of foods and studies about food additives and food preservation. They can find their career in manufacturing companies, food processing companies and pharmaceutical manufacturers. Obviously if various industries demand more chemistry graduates there should be teachers to teach chemistry. Agriculture is the backbone of the economy of many countries. Insecticides and other contaminants are required in high quantities in modern farming. Hence agricultural chemists are required in more numbers to develop cheaper methods of growing high yielding crops.

 

Careers in chemistry for a post graduate or a higher degree holder

The career of a forensic scientist is high earning. Their duty is to give scientific evidence and help in tackling legal issues. The career of a chemical engineer is very promising. Chemical engineering studies the relationship between physics and chemistry and mathematics and it is very innovative creating many valuable materials. A chemical oceanographer researches the composition of the ocean water and the chemical reactions or processes that happen in the marine environment. They can also find careers in the fields of space exploration, biotechnology and environmental law. There are even career paths for chemistry degree holders that you may not immediately think of when you think of chemistry. For example one of the world’s top motivational speakers has an advanced degree in biochemistry. Chemistry degrees certainly open many exciting doors for graduates.

 

Nuclear chemistry

Nuclear chemistry offers a wide variety of careers in the scientific, medical and industrial fields. Radio chemistry is a branch of chemistry that involves the isolation and identification of radioactive elements. A person who holds a PhD in organic chemistry, medicinal chemistry, radiochemistry or analytical chemistry can take up the career of a radio chemist. A radio chemist has to develop new radiopharmaceuticals which are used in various disciplines like oncology, regenerative medicine, psychiatry, and cardiology and many more. Nuclear chemistry also plays an important role in radiation therapy. A nuclear chemist has to process and isolate the radioactive isotopes that produce ionized radiation in the treatment of cancers.  The interesting careers in chemistry  are never ending as it is sure that the importance of chemistry will never diminish and hence it will be a promising career.

 

 

How chemistry can improve the environment

Chemistry is the heart of the environment. Major environmental issues like climate change and water pollution are all ascribed to chemical changes. This is because chemistry is a major contributor to the current industrial development. But scientific researches and advancements in the fields of chemistry have enabled us to come up with materials whose applications are friendly to the environment. Eco-friendly cars which of course would lead to cheaper car insurance and even environmentally friendly materials for fancy dress costumes are possible thanks to advances in chemistry. Currently, every body wants to benefit from the chemical advancements in the industry like drugs, fuels and plastic objects of all shapes while still aiming at preserving the environment. Is it really possible to meet both requirements?

Chemistry really does improve our environment and here are the ways:

With chemistry, it is possible to get involved and improve the industrial chain of production with the intention of improving the environment through modification of the most polluting production processes and replacing them with new and clean technologies.

Chemistry helps in the development of products which are biodegradable or which can be recycled later after use thus reducing pollution hence improving the environment.

Chemical knowledge helps in identifying and evaluating environmental risks and providing remedies. Chemical knowledge helps people to know the importance of planting purification plants for the purpose of lessening dust from industrial plants and exhaust from cars.

Chemistry also enhances ecological compatibility, energy saving, materials reconversion and new applications. Such chemistry basics help in improving the environment and resources by minimizing the environmental risks.

Chemistry has also enhanced development of bio-fuels which are derived from biomass. Bio-masses like Agricultural wastes, wood, sugarcane, corn and straw are transformed into transport fuels and help in replacing other forms of fuel energy which pollute the environment.

Chemistry enhances the manufacturing of light plastic ES composites which assist in reducing  the fuel consumed by cars and aero-planes. Fuel reduction also reduces the amount of exhaust fumes reducing the degree of air pollution.

The development of fuel cells to power motorbikes or cars makes hydrogen fuel cells release water instead of exhaust gases. The release of water as an exhaust is environmental friendly and this helps improve the environment.

Chemistry has enhanced the construction of wind turbines whose blades are made of fiberglass-reinforced polyester to survive bad weather, replacing metal turbines. Additionally chemistry has enhanced the construction and usage of solar panels to replace other sources of energy which involve pollution of the environment during their generation.

Research in chemistry has ensured that industrial processes play a major role in solving environmental problems like climate change, waste management, and energy efficiency. All these problems have been understood by us thanks to the work of chemists – otherwise we could not have known them.

Chemistry has also helped the chemical industries to develop voluntary initiatives by publishing guidelines for the distribution and handling of chemical substances. Proper handling and distribution of chemicals improves the environment. Studying chemistry can therefore help people develop the necessary skills to make use of industrial products which involve chemical processes safely, while still preserving the environment.

 

The Importance of Chemistry in our Daily Life

Chemistry is a branch of science that focuses on the interactions of matter and energy. Some people say chemistry is a very boring subject and subjects like drama, music, computers or SEO, even local business SEO such as Dallas SEO would be more interesting. Most high school students are asking why they have to study Chemistry? What is the importance of Chemistry? Does everybody need to be knowledgeable in the subject? The answer is yes. Chemistry is a very important subject and this article will discuss what the importance of the subject is in our everyday life.

The basic thing to know is that Chemistry explains how you will be able to preserve food. It also explains why and how the food became rotten. The interaction of the ingredients and how they give taste to the food is also explained by Chemistry. Food is one of people’s basic needs, therefore, the Chemistry that explains about the food that we eat is really important.

The importance of Chemistry is also implied in the world of Medicine. The medicine and its content is explained by Chemistry. The interaction of the medicine on the human body is being concluded, tested and proven by the Chemistry department. Without the usage of Chemistry in medicine, we will be clueless and no development on the treatment regimen will be implemented. Chemistry will help you realize and know what will be the harmful and good effects of a certain vitamin such as vitamin D, supplement such as african mango extract or drug such as panadol on your body.

Everyday, we also do different household chores and that includes cleaning. The cleaning process is also due to Chemistry. The soap, detergents and different tools that are used in cleaning are due to Chemistry. It simply explains how the substances clean. It is also the reason why different cleansers and disinfectants exist. Chemistry is used in every simple thing at home. A single soap, shampoo and toothpaste that is used everyday in cleansing our body is made thanks to Chemistry.

Environmentalists also study Chemistry because it is very important in explaining pollutants and the pollution in our environment. The solution for the pollutants is also discovered by Chemistry, and further studies will surely give future developments to the environment for society. Studying the effect and interaction between the pollutants and the environment will give different solutions to the environment’s problems.

In every little thing that we see, touch, hear and smell, there is chemistry. The importance of chemistry in our life will never diminish. It is a continuous study of life. Everybody should know basic chemistry so we will have answers to our questions. Knowing the basic chemistry will also help us to identify the effects of certain products on our own self. Every single thing in the world is a substance and we need to know the specific uses and the harmful effects. We should be knowledgeable about the existing things in the universe. If we can study those things and learn how to use and manipulate them, development will arise and it will be the reason why all of us will succeed in the future.

 

Chemistry is the basis of all medical knowledge to human beings. From determining the structure of a simple cell, to the determination of highly complex DNA molecules, chemistry has various applications in the medical field. It can be generalized that medicine is the sub branch of chemistry. Chemistry is utilized in finding the cause of a health malfunction and its treatment. All drugs and medicines available to us are formulated from the knowledge of chemistry.

From the vast field of discoveries in chemistry that have helped the medical world I present to you some of them:

1. DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid):- The structure of DNA was suggested by Francis Crick, James D Watson and Maurice Wilkins in the year 1953. The structure of DNA bestows upon us the knowledge of genes, heredity and is the basis of genetic engineering. Cellular DNA is the information source for making proteins in the cell. A section of DNA that provides information for one protein is called the gene. Genes control the traits for a new born.

2. Insulin: – Paul Langerhans in1869 noticed insulin when he was dealing with the pancreas under the microscope. Insulin is an effective method of eradicating the symptoms of diabetes. Leonard Thompson, a 14 year old diabetic, was the first person to be injected with Insulin.

3. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS): – It is a combination of gas-liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry to examine different substances within a test sample. Using GC-MS congenital metabolic diseases and compounds in minor concentration present in urine can be detected.

4. Affinity chromatography: – Meir Wilchek developed affinity chromatography for separating biochemical mixtures based on a highly specific biological interaction. In 1972, he showed that this method can be utilized to remove toxic substances like heme peptides from blood using immobilized human serum albumin; this became the basis for modern Hemoperfusion.

5. Affinity Therapy: – In 1975, Meir Wilchek, Michael Sela, Ester Hurwitz, and Ruth Arnon applied drug-conjugated antibodies for the targeted conveyance of cytotoxic compounds to cancer cells. Their approach was later adopted by others and ultimately led to the efficient treatment of human breast cancer by recombinant humanized anti-HER2 antibody (Herceptin) in a mixture with paclitaxel and doxorubicin.

6. Hemoperfusion: It is a process of purifying a patient’s blood by passing large volumes of blood over an adsorbent substance like resins and activated carbon. Toxic substances like drugs and poisons are removed. Hemodialysis is a process similar to Hemoperfusion but in the former urine removal is done for patients with kidney failure.

7.  MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging):- In 1991 Richard Robert Ernst pioneered the development of nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy which was the base for MRI. MRI is used for visualizing detailed internal structures. MRI has been used for distinguishing brain tumors from normal tissues.

These are some of the chemistry based methods used in medical fields but almost all elements and many organic and inorganic compounds are also utilized in drug manufacture, diagnosis and the treatment of human diseases. For eg. Anesthesia is used during surgery; MDMA commonly called ecstasy is used for psychotherapy; and Technetium-99m is used in radioactive isotope medical tests.

The study of substance or materials, their composition and the reactions that takes place between the substances is called chemistry. One has to first develop an understanding of the pure elements that are present in nature and then through experimentation produce a new phenomena.

In a chemical reaction, atoms and molecules are combined to form a new substance and for this a special system is devised. Chemistry explains the reaction that takes place between the atoms of different elements to form compounds. Through chemical laws and scientific information, a better understanding of natural reactions and those catalyzed by humans, is created. Chemistry has provided us with the opportunity to utilize substances in a better way and those that are rare and precious can be preserved.

The advent of chemistry is attributed to the culture of Egypt, China and ancient Greeks. The discoveries and inventions of these people were revolutionary and has also affected the military and political power of that land area.

The use of chemistry in Egypt dates back to the time of the Pharaohs but it was limited to the priests and rulers of the time. To the mass market, it was introduced in recent centuries during the 19th century when laboratories and industries were set up. They served the government so that the timely decisions could be made on the import, export and safe use of the materials.

Egypt is considered as a seat of chemistry as they introduced the phenomenon of alchemy that was practiced in the Middle Ages. It was a process through which scientists tried to turn common metals into gold and make humans immortal. The early writings on alchemy by Greek philosophers are considered as the earliest theories of chemistry.

Egyptian alchemists created a white powder which has magical qualities and is often considered The Philosopher’s Stone. It was believed that when this stone dissolved in Aqua Regia it produces the Elixir of Life that can prolong a human’s life making him immortal. It is also believed that it acts as a catalyst that can transform lead into gold.

In this process of discovering a way to convert lead into gold and make humans immortal, these alchemists made medicines that could cure sick people. These alchemists then transferred their knowledge to the ancient Greeks who passed it to Arabs and from there the European world learned about science especially chemistry.

In the 20th century began the proper teaching of chemistry at tertiary level. The establishment of a private university in 1908 in Cairo was the stepping-stone for the development and progression of education. Soon a government university was also established in which the department of chemistry was according to the highest international standards.

The rebirth of chemistry led to the establishment and building of different government and non-government institutes nationwide. The second university was set in Alexandria in 1942. Not only do these universities teach chemistry but they also have well-equipped laboratories for practical use.

The Egyptian Chemical Society established in 1928 serves the society by promoting the connection between chemists and chemical engineers which encourages the exchange of ideas and better utilization of substances.

Chemistry is the science of matter, especially chemical reactions. It is concerned with atoms and their interactions that form chemical bonds. Also called ” the central science” because it connects physics with natural sciences such as geology and biology. Chemistry is big part of our everyday life. We find chemistry in our daily life, the food we eat, air we breathe, the soap we use, literally every object we see and touch.  Have you ever wondered about the importance of chemistry in our every day life…??

Everything is made of chemicals, you,me your pet, the sun, the medicines we take,the  food we eat etc .Knowing some chemistry helps us to know the usage of many things that we come across daily in our day to day life.

THE NOBEL PRIZE :

The nobel prize is an annual international award. The will of Swedish chemist ALFRED NOBEL (inventor of dynamite) established the prizes in 1895. The prizes were first awarded in 1901 in physics, chemistry, physiology,medicine and peace . The Royal Swedish Academy of sciences awards the Nobel prize in chemistry.

The turn of the century 1900 was also a turning point in the history of chemistry. Consequently, a survey of Nobel prizes in chemistry during this century will provide an analysis of important trends in the development of this branch of natural sciences. The Nobel prize has been awarded 103 times to 161 Nobel laureates between 1901 to 2011.

FREDERICK SANGER is the only Nobel laureate who has been awarded the Nobel prize twice in 1958 & 1980.   A total of 160 individuals have received the nobel prize in chemistry.

FACTS REGARDING THE NOBEL PRIZE IN CHEMISTRY :

1) 63 chemistry prizes have been given to 1 laureate only.

2) 22 chemistry prizes have been given to two laureates.

3)18 chemistry prizes have been given between 3 laureates.

Youngest chemistry laureate :

Frederic Jolit, 35 yrs. young Nobel laureate in chemistry was awarded Nobel prize in 1935.

Oldest chemistry laureate :

The oldest Nobel laureate in chemistry up to date is John B. Fenn, who was 85yrs. old when he was awarded nobel prize in 2002.

Female Nobel laureates in chemistry :

Of the 160 individuals, only four are women .

1911 – Madam curie.

1935 – Irene Joliot curie.

1964 – Dorothy crowfoot Hodgkin .

2009 – Ada E. Yonath.

Multiple Nobel laureates in chemistry :

Madam curie ( physics 1903 & chemistry 1911 )

Linus Pauling ( chemistry 1954 & peace 1962 )

Frederic Sanger ( chemistry 1958 & 1980 )

In most recent years , the chemistry laureates have increased our understanding of chemical processes and molecular bases and have also contributed to the technology that we are enjoying today.

The List of recent  nobel laureates in chemistry :

2011 -DAN SHECTMAN

2010 – RICHARD F.HECK, AKIRA SUZUKI

2009 – VENKATRAMAN RAMAKRISHNAN, THOMAS A.STETIZ ADA YONATH.

2008 – OSAMU SHIMOMURA, MATRIN CHAFLIE

2007 – GERHARD ERTL

2006 – YVES CHAUVIN, ROBERT H.GRUBBS etc……….

* The very first Nobel prize was given to Jacobus H. vant for his work rates of reaction, chemical equilibrium and osmotic pressure.

* In 1909 to Ostwald for his work on catalysis, rates oc chemical reaction.

* In 1902 to Emil Fischer for his work on sugars and purine syntheses.

* In 1904 to Sir William Ramsay for his work on noble gases.

* In 1914 to Theodore William Richards for determining the atomic weight of a large number of chemical elements.   Here the list goes on…….! we come across all these discoveries in our school text books. Behind every thing in the world, chemistry plays a vital role.

 

 

Women have contributed a vast amount to our understanding of Chemistry. Alongside their male counterparts they have helped to achieve significant breakthroughs in science.  Perhaps the most famous female chemist is Marie Curie who helped in researching radioactivity. She was also the first female winner of a Nobel prize and the first woman to be a professor at the Sorbonne. Alongside Marie Curie other great woman have achieved a great deal of success in the field of chemistry and their achievements are recorded throughout  modern history.

Marie- Anne Lavoisier, the wife of a leading chemist, helped her husband and translated the works of other chemists for him allowing Lavoisier to elaborate on and explore their work. She also hosted dinner parties and instigated debates on chemistry topics. In the early nineteenth century the American Mary Lyon founded Mount Holyoke College in New England and pioneered for the study of chemistry to be more easily accessible and understood. She introduced experiments and laboratories for the study of chemistry for students.

The relatively new country of America proved to be a breeding ground  for credible female chemists and many women chemists flourished. Alice Hamiltonwas a pioneering chemist, who was amongst the first to realise that chemical interactions occur around us on a daily basis and pressured the American government  to monitor workplaces and to make workers aware of the dangerous hazards in the workplace especially dangerous chemicals. Marie Daly became the first African American to obtain a PHD in chemistry; she also helped set up an aid system allowing many more students to become involved in chemistry.

Elsewhere, Irene Joliot- Curie, alongside her husband, was awarded the 1935 Nobel prize in chemistry. The British chemist Rosalind Franklin missed out on a Nobel prize awarded to Watson and Crick for their work on the structure and understanding of DNA. Watson and Crick relied heavily on the work carried out by Franklin on the molecular structure of DNA. She unfortunately died before the award of the Nobel prize and it could not be given posthumously. Her fellow Briton Mary Crowfoot Hodgkin was awarded the Nobel prize for her work with x-rays and the structure and composition of molecules.

Women today are still shaping history in the field of chemistry, notably two American female chemists, Shannon Lucid a bio chemist and a chemical engineer named Mae Jemison have taken chemistry into space. Proving that female chemists will continue to lead future developments. These achievements are a far cry from the days of the famous Mariya the Sage, the alchemist who perhaps started female interest in chemistry, in the sixteenth and seventeenth century. Even today her influence lives on with the modern day Bain Marie, a cooking apparatus, being a direct link to her as well as ‘Black Mary’ , the black sulfide coating that can be seen on metal.

In conjunction with their male compatriots women in chemistry have certainly left their mark and have helped the world become what it is today. Who knows where chemistry will take us in the near future but wherever it does women chemists will be in the driving seat.

Chemistry is the scientific study of the structure of substances, how they react when they are combined and how they behave under different conditions. Because everything around us is made up of matter or substance, it is vital to have an understanding of chemistry. This article will explain the ways teachers can make high school students more interested in chemistry. Contrary to how people think, chemistry is indeed a very interesting subject. It is important to study it because you get really to understand how everything works from what makes up food, medicine and detergent to name but a few hence, one can seldom say that chemistry should be left to the scientists alone!

 

The study of chemistry is vital in promoting science and technology. Most students think chemistry is boring because probably they think they will not need it later in life. It is therefore very important how a teacher approaches his class because that first lesson will make it or break it for him. It is necessary as a teacher to go out of your way to ensure that you engage your students. Get them excited about it. Think outside the box. You ask how? It is quite simple! As a teacher, you have to think about what relates to your students. Most high school students are probably in their teens and one of the issues that affect most of them is drugs. Give them a brief history of each drug that exists and what it is composed of. That should get their attention and while at it do not hesitate to enlighten them about the hazards of drugs. As important as it is to follow the syllabus and teach by the book, you will be doing more harm than good. That is a sure way to lose the students attention. You have to ensure that the way you prepare for your next class is different from the last. Use charts and projectors to better describe what you are teaching. Displaying how substances are by the use of a model is a sure way to have everyone attentive. Aim at making your chemistry class as practical as possible. Don’t just tell your students that if you combine two different chemicals you get an entirely different product. Let them see it for themselves! They will be sure not to forget. Let them experience firsthand the effects of nitrous oxide (N2O). You will have won your students over and they will be impatiently awaiting the next chemistry class! Ensure however, that safety always comes first. Let them wear protective gear while in the lab. The use of well illustrated and colored books will see you get through those difficult and less exciting topics. Another way to keep your students interested is by teaching them about radioactivity. You can never go wrong with that topic! Take your students out as well to field trips at factories and plants where they can witness the transformation of substances. Without doubt you can see it is quite easy to let your students have fun while learning. Simply follow the above ways teachers can make high school students more interested in chemistry!

 

Chemistry is a branch of science that has ancient origins and probably dates from prehistoric times. The science is swamped with life changing discoveries and famous chemists whose painstaking work led to these discoveries opening up new areas of research and investigation. The importance of chemistry is often ignored and without these pioneers life would be unrecognisable. Male chemists have influenced science throughout the ages and several have achieved a lasting status in history.

Perhaps one of the most famous male chemists in ancient history is the Greek Aristotle  who is regarded as the man who first suggested that the earth and everything within it was made up of four key elements namely fire, earth, air and water. This theory was perhaps influenced by an earlier male chemist, another Greek, Democritus who first proposed the existence of atoms. Man’s quest for wealth stimulated more research in chemistry in the form of alchemy as people sought the formulas to turn base objects into gold and led to more breakthroughs and a greater understanding of basic chemical reactions. Man also sought to use this new found knowledge to cure ills and help mankind to lead longer lives and chemists sought an ‘Elixer Of Life’ through their experiments with chemistry.

Despite these early breakthroughs chemistry had to wait a while before it soon gathered pace and blossomed. Many regard the Muslims as the first real chemists as they used Greek knowledge and expanded on it, for example the Muslim scholar Al-Jabr is credited with the discovery of several elements and their specific weights. Muslim chemists were also the first to differentiate between base metals and alloys.

In the 17th century Robert Boyle disproved Aristotle’s earlier theory and practically ended alchemy as a science allowing real chemists to advance their knowledge. Charles Coulomb gave the world his law on the attraction and repulsion of particles. Chemistry was now advancing quickly. The ‘Father of Modern Chemistry’ , Antoine Lavoisier realised that it was oxygen that combined with substances as they burned. John Dalton another famous male chemist published his own theory on atomic particles and stated that matter is made of atoms, echoing Democritus work nearly two and half thousand years earlier. Chemistry as a science now really started making vast breakthroughs with chemists such as William Crokes and Heinrich Geissler advancing mans’ understanding of chemistry and leading to more breakthroughs being made possible. Eugene Goldsmith discovered positive particles using hydrogen and Wilhelm Roentgen accidently discovered X-Rays.

Many more famous chemists continued to advance our knowledge of chemical reactions and more and more was being discovered. Men such as Robert Millikan, Ernest Rutherford and Henry Moseley all made important discoveries. In 1932 James Chadwick pushed the boundaries of chemistry further by recognizing the existence of neutrons again allowing a greater understanding of our world.This was quickly followed by Enrico Fermi’s work on nuclear fission. Frederic Joliot Curie’s work on artificially created radioactive elements won him the 1935 Nobel peace prize.

Male chemists have had a great say in modern day chemistry and history is littered with their stories of success. How many more discoveries are just waiting to be found?

How can chemistry help in solving the problems of human kind? There is no doubt that out of all the subjects that are being taught, chemistry is an essential subject of study. Many institutions of learning have put it as a compulsory subject. This is because it has been realized that it has quite a lot of things to offer.

There are many ways that chemistry can help solve mankind’s problems. We are going to talk about some of them. The field of chemistry is quite a broad one in terms of the sub areas that it has to offer. These are the fields that bring about the change in the human world and actually help in solving some of its problems. Chemistry can help solve the problems of human beings in a number of ways. The first way is by providing solutions in the health sector. This by researching and coming up with medicines that can treat various diseases of human beings.

If it were not for chemistry, there would be no medicines today. People would be languishing in diseases without knowing what to to do and who to turn to. Apart from the diseases and sickness, there is also the point of health supplementary products. These include some of the dietary supplements that help to keep someone healthy and in shape. It is chemistry that does this work of coming up with solutions.

The earth is also experiencing issues with global warming that only chemistry has been able to find out. Global warming has become bad in some areas of this world. There are some countries that are slowly going down because of it.Chemistry has been able to solve this problem finding the causes of global warming and how they can be prevented. This is why you see all over the news advertisements that warn people on what they should not do in order to help curb global warming.

The world also needs energy. In fact, it is a mandatory component to keep some of the most important industries running. Thanks to chemistry,man has been able to generate energy that has been able to give us lighting and provide power that will keep some of the most important aspects running. Imagine if there was no chemistry and energy was not found, how would the world be? It would be obsolete and not interesting. This is an important area that chemistry has helped man in solving some problems. Without energy, things would be running manually and that would require man power which is tiresome.

These are examples of the key areas in which chemistry helps solve mankind’s problems. To the people who think that chemistry is a hard subject, they should take a moment and look at the world around them. It is noticeable that chemistry has played a major role in solving some of the major problems and making the world to be what it is today.

In Egypt, chemistry has been practiced since the time of the Pharaohs. However, teaching chemistry in Egypt has been popularised on a wider scale only in the recent decades. In the 19th century several chemical activities were started by establishing governmental laboratories for chemical analysis. One of the earlier educational institutions that started chemistry teaching was Cairo university in1925. It began teaching chemistry as per the highest level of international standards. Eminent professor. Schonberg belonging to Germany was the head of the chemistry department in Cairo university until the mid 1950s. A modern method of the implementation of micro methods in teaching chemistry was established in the Cairo university at the beginning itself. This fact has been justified in a book written by Prof. Egerton C. Grey, who was the then professor of chemistry in the university. In the preface of his book ‘practical Chemistry by Micro-Methods’ he advocates the teaching of organic chemistry using micro-methods, qualitative analysis, elementary physical chemistry and Volumetric analysis.

The second university in Egypt was started at Alexandria in 1942. Prof.Flaschentrager from Germany was the professor of Bio chemistry in this Alexandria university during the initial years. Moreover, it is worth knowing that the 1999 Nobel prize winner in chemistry, Dr. Ahmed Zawail, was a graduate from Alexandria university.

In 1950 Ain-Shams university was established in Egypt. After that a series of institutions like Assuit university(1957), and regional universities at Mansoura and Tanta (1969), at Zagazig and Menia(1974) were founded and as a result of these institutions the chemistry teaching was rapidly expanded in Egypt. Currently, there are 13 governmental universities in Egypt and it is great news that 30 percent of the students enrolled have chosen chemistry as their academic subject. Apart from the indigenous educational institutions, there is one American university in Cairo and two more private institutions have been set up recently. It is only to enhance the quality of education that more and more universities are being set up. Ever increasing populations necessitates new institutions in order to reduce the crowding in existing ones.

The Chemistry department in all these universities deals with different faculties. The department gives focus mainly to the study of basic chemistry along with its applications. However in the faculties of medicine, the teaching is concentrated on biotechnology and vital biochemical processes. There are separate departments to deal with the chemistry of drugs and pharmaceuticals. Other areas of the teaching of chemistry are related to chemical engineering, Soil chemistry, Pesticide chemistry and food chemistry. To make the study a more qualitative one, laboraties are provided in chemistry departments. Moreover students get opportunities to read important periodicals and scientific books in the library. Above all, the application of information Technology in the academic field has really made a revolution by changing the way the students learn the subject.

During the 16th International conference on Chemical Education in Budapest, Hungary in August 2000, a keynote lecture was presented by Prof. Fahmy. It focused on the application of systemic method to teaching and learning organic chemistry for 21 st Century. It was encouraging to replace the linear approach to teaching chemistry with a systemic one. All these things point to the fact that teaching chemistry in Egypt has developed both qualitatively and quantitatively to a higher level in a limited period of time.