The Perfect Duo: Chemistry and Zoology
What am I after all? Who am I? A mere creature of God. Yes, a creature made out of clay and molded skilfully by the powerful hands of Him whom we call Father. He made me just like that, and for what reason? To suffer the temptations herein? Am I really important? What am I in this world? To eat, play, drink, and study? Study. Why do we have to study? To gain knowledge and be superior overall beings here on earth? Or do I study merely because of pride so I may not be counted among the ignorant idlers. Why do we have to study and take examinations? Why not let life be only for eating, sleeping, or pleasure. Why do we have to suffer the pains of the damned? Why was I born? Why babies have to leave their mother’s womb when it is much secured there than outside. There you’re kept warm and you don’t have to bother about food, clothing, or shelter. Lastly, why do mothers have to suffer just so we can be brought out into this world. They love us, and yet, very often we fight them when we are grown-up. I don’t think that is right. One should never give his parents cause for worry. God created us in order to be happy with him after death… why do we have to die before we can see God?
Anonymus
That was a piece that I got from a book (actually, it were some of my high school classmates who discovered it) when I was still in high school for an oral examination in English. If I’m not mistaken, the author of this piece is unknown, but if you know who he or she is, please let me know.
Have you asked yourself with those kind of questions. In my case, yes. And most of the times, I don’t get the answers. And if I have, it would lead to yet another question. One of the questions that I always asked myself is the one that I bolded.
Yes, okay, it is a fact that we should learn in order to know something. But why do we need to know those unnecessary things? Let’s have Math for example, even if I like it so much that I would gladly trade it with Philosophy if given the chance, I still don’t get the point why do we have to know algebra, trigonometry, geometry, and other stuffs that has something to do with Mathematics when simple MDAS — the four basic Math skills — would make you survive life even without those complicated Mathematical skills. Besides, what’s the use of calculators? Lol.
*****
Chemistry and Zoology are driving me crazy! With tons of jargons to memorize, who would not turn into a lunatic? But hey, I’m not one yet, I’m still in the process of becoming one. Lol.
Yesterday, I was memorizing the frog’s bones (e.g. humerus, occipital condyles, fenestra, mento-meckelian, astragalus1). And this morning, I had a test about them. Boy, it was brain damaging! There were even some bones that I did not recognize because they were cut and chopped into pieces. For instance, the pectoral girdle that has ten (more or less) parts was cut, making it too hard for me to recognize as pectoral girdle that consists of clavicle, fenstra, epicoracoid, coracoid, episternum, and other parts that I’m sure you don’t want to know and don’t care about.
And later, I have to review for Chemistry because I have a test tomorrow about lipids. Yes, about those fats you have in your body.
Until now I still don’t know why do we have to study all of this things. Why do we have to memorize names of chemicals such as “acetic acid” (IUPAC name: ethanoic acid) when you can simply say it as “vinegar.” I’m sure, nobody from you would go to the nearest sari-sari store2 and ask the owner “Do you have acetic acid (or ethanoic acid)?” If you don’t want him to pour vinegar on you! Yuck!
On the lighter side, there are some interesting things that I knew this semester, thanks to my excellent Chemistry instructor3 and Zoology laboratory instructor. My Chemistry professor told us that you can create diamond (synthetic) out of methane gas which consists of one carbon atom and three hydrogen atoms. (Are you already getting bored? Or am I already killing you with all these terms? Haha.) She even also told us that putrescine (IUPAC name: 1,4-butanediamine) and cadaverine (IUPAC name: 1,5-pentanediamine) are reasons why dead animals have unpleasant odors. (So the next time you smelled an unpleasant odor, just simply say “Gorss! It smells purtescine and cadaverine!4) And oh, you could also make vinegar (or any other carboxylic acids) have a pleasant odor just by adding alcohol (this process is termed as esterification).
With all of these, I’m just so glad that I’m doing great with these two subjects… and I’m still alive!
PS: Hey! Want to earn money? Join BlogToProfit now! Please put harry07[at]gmail[dot]com as your referrer. Thanks.
- Hey, it’s only the word “humerus” and “occipital” that the spell checker of Firefox has recognized as correct. [↩]
- My English instructor last semester said that “sari-sari store” is already included in the English lexicon so I’m not going to italicize it. Lol. But a simple search of it in Dictionary.com would not give me a positive result. [↩]
- Who enters the classroom with only her chalk box. All of the things that she teach are programmed into her brain. Lol. [↩]
- But who would understand you? Lol! [↩]
February 26, 2007 @ 6:46 pm
Damn it Christian, give credit where credit is due! I, Talamasca aka ILL Niño gave birth to every single word on that piece! Hehe.
Wait until you reach frog or cat muscles… their origin, insertion and all that shiznits. Or when you’ve reached the part on comparative zoology where you have to lodge hundreds upon hundreds of scientific names of sea shells and other sea creatures in your brain. Completely and utterly pointless. But hey, it’s super fun! Bwahahahaha!
IÂ’m sure, nobody from you would go to the nearest sari-sari store2 and ask the owner “Do you have acetic acid (or ethanoic acid)?”…
Actually, I, being shameless and all, have done a thing like that so many times. And the manongs/manangs would go like O_o!!! Totally priceless!
ZOMG I miss College Chemistry, especially Orgchem, Biochem and Analytical Chem! *swoons with nostalgic pleasure* Shit, I wanna go back to college… NOT!!! LOL!
Anyhoo, break a leg!!! College rocks so be good! Ktnxbai.
February 26, 2007 @ 6:52 pm
Oh, and I *pink puffy heart* your header! So artsy! Kindly make me one too! Kidding. K bai!
February 26, 2007 @ 7:00 pm
Talamasca: Seriously, you gave me a good laugh with that comment.
And oh, credits are due to Talamasca, the Chemistry (plus Zoology) genius-slash-intellect-slash-master!
I can make you one, I’m serious! Haha.
February 26, 2007 @ 7:03 pm
may links order ka na ba from Blogtoprofit? Di parin nila pinapadala yung sakin. Pinapapili lang nila ako ng mga ads na gusto kong ilagay.
February 26, 2007 @ 7:15 pm
Benj: Once pa lang ako nabigyan ng link orders. I asked them kung kelan ako ulit magkakalink orders, sabe nila, nilagay nila ako sa waiting list or something.
February 26, 2007 @ 7:48 pm
Mga katanungan sa buhay?? I’m not sure but many animals, substances, etc in this world have their “scientific” and “common” name.
Do you have Latin subjects or is it part of your curriculum? I was informed that it is a required subject in SLU for those who are taking courses under the Nat Sci department. Reasonable nga naman kasi if we look at it, maraming scientific terms ang hango sa salitang Latin.
NaCl ang salt diba = Sodium Chloride… tama ba? I already forgot my Chemistry. Hehe. Tapos sa mga animals mga nesis nesis… nakakahilo.
February 26, 2007 @ 9:54 pm
KT: Talagang nakakahilo! Yep. NaCl is table salt. I think wala kaming Latin subjects. According to one of my professors, it is easy to learn as it’s a dead language.
February 27, 2007 @ 10:48 am
Well, what do you know.
Two of my most hated subjects. Especially Chemistry.
It’s always fun to learn new things, but to memorize them? That’s completely insane! That’s the reason why I didn’t take up anything that’s close to Biology - Nursing, Med, whatevs. I hope you, Tala, and Benj wouldn’t hold this against me as you are all men of science, but…Geesh. What’s the use?!
I’ll just write.
February 27, 2007 @ 4:40 pm
I have been asking all those questions all the time.And yes I couldnt get the answer either.Sometimes things are just so complicated although it looks like its not.Hope I will get the answer soon lol…Guess it won’t happen.Anyway you just mention all the science term which I am so alien to haha..I hate math and science.Too many things need to memorise and remember.
February 27, 2007 @ 7:46 pm
im not good in memorizing names. i mean, i can feel that zoology won’t work out for me. really. i think i even offend many people because i would talk to them without remembering their names. i have a short memory gap.
so good luck with your studies. right now im busy and i can’t enjoy much.
February 27, 2007 @ 8:56 pm
Yikee. Things like those, ewww!
Haha. Those questions, those had been asked by almost all people that I know (or do not know of)! I think those had been alive since time immemorial and are still left unanswered.
Hah! Memorizing, at least for me, SUCKS! I’d rather summarize a 500-page book or debate than memorize those yikee parts/elements/compounds/scientific names/*insert whatever here*!
So that’s oppose to your
“LetÂ’s have Math for example, even if I like it so much that I would gladly trade it with Philosophy if given the chance…”
February 27, 2007 @ 8:58 pm
Ow, wait. That’s Math. My mistake. But still, I hate Math and subjects that deal with Science.
February 28, 2007 @ 1:04 pm
*shakes head*
All the fenestra pectoral whatsits gave me a headache.
Well, good luck with your Chemistry test. I seriously don’t remember anything from my Chem classes. Or Math. Or any class for that matter.
Hmm. If you do go to a sari-sari store and ask for acetic acid, I’m pretty sure the person on the other side would just give you a blank look or ask you what the hell you want.
February 28, 2007 @ 9:40 pm
noon pangarap kong course yung related sa field ng medicine/science kayalang tama ka ang daming dapat i-me-morize, di kayang i handle ng brain ko, hehe. kaya nauwi ako sa field na related sa mathematics
March 1, 2007 @ 5:17 pm
haha, I dont understand it either, sometimes I wonder why the hell I study. but to be honest, sometimes I go overboard studying. sometimes it’s actually… fun. lol. I study because i like studying. I feel good when I’m writing down more than 10 pages of lessons in my notebook. I find history fun, because of memorizing dates and persons and I actually find it fascinating.
im weird. rofl.
March 2, 2007 @ 7:44 pm
I like taxonomy a lot. As for chemistry, organic chemistry was very enjoyable.
March 2, 2007 @ 10:44 pm
Hey, I love memorizing the parts of the body systems. I feel like chanting everytime I recite them. Haha! It’s quite easy actually, most body parts are named after their anatomical landmarks.
As with Chemistry, I hate it. I would prefer Physics anytime.
March 2, 2007 @ 11:07 pm
btw, linked you man.