Chemistry or Biology: That Is the Question

Abstract

My first interest was for chemistry. I was fascinated by the possibility to make simple experiments with reagents commonly used in any house or readily available in a drugstore or in groceries such as baking soda, vinegar, bleach, ammonia, slaked lime, iodine, quicksilver. I also tried some electrochemical experiments with low voltage batteries and salt solutions obtaining the electrodeposition of copper, zinc or water electrolysis. Then I “discovered” organic chemistry with its almost infinite possibilities to generate new compounds with a marked interest for naturally occurring molecules like alkaloids, plant pigments and dyes, and natural flavors like terpenes, organic esters etc. Subsequently I realized that the most complex and sophisticated chemistry was invented by nature in the generation of living organisms. Living organisms in fact use organic chemistry to make an incredible variety of compounds and to construct the macromolecules (DNA, RNA, protein) and lipids that working together generate the complex phenomenon that we called “life”. At that point my choice was made and I decided to study biology with a focus for biochemistry and molecular biology and this opens the way to a long career in research laboratories and universities.