Life—now there’s a broad topic. Consequently, the "chemistry of life" covers a lot of material. Just think of all of the life processes in humans and other animals: breathing, growing, digesting, reproducing—even dying. And then there are the lives of plants to consider. And what about microorganisms, some of whose very struggle for life threatens our own lives. In fact, throughout history it has been illness and death that have driven us hardest to learn more about life and its processes. In this pursuit of preserving and extending life, the chemical sciences have played an essential role. In this section you’ll be introduced to organic chemistry, biochemistry, respiration, photosynthesis, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology and genetics, diseases and viruses, and more by meeting some of the scientists who have made the path-breaking discoveries that have enabled us to live longer and healthier lives.		Getting Started To start exploring, just click the Time Line, Faces, or Resources buttons above. Within the Time Line, click any of the items along the time line and text will appear describing that historic achievement. Within the Faces section, scroll over any picture on the grid and get a brief description of what the person is known for; click the picture and see a larger image with a brief biography.