What's the fundamental difference between nuclear reactions and chemical reactions?

What are the different chemical reactions that happen inside a dish while it is being cooked/baked?

• The heat provided by the oven or the pan obviously catalyses chemical reactions such as various oxidations & reductions, and maybe esterification. Yet are they other chemical reactions that happen and explain the main difference of taste and texture between a cooked and an uncooked dish? What is the influence of these oxidations & reductions? In addition to that, I'd like to know what are the most common reactions which happen when a dish is being cooked and which are perceptible. Thank you

• Answer:

  The various reactions involved in cooking are Maillard Reaction http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maillard_reaction Caramelisation with pyrolysis http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caramelization Denaturation http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denaturation_(biochemistry) Each reaction occurs in differing proportions with each ingredient and cooking method.