Burn baby burn!

Fire is the rapid oxidation of a combustible material releasing heat and light.

If hot enough, the gases may become ionized to produce plasma, a partially ionized gas in which partial proportions of electorns are free rather than being bound to an atom or molecule.

When flammable material is provided with sufficient oxygen and subjected to enough amount of heat it is sustainable to create a chain reaction

flammable material + oxygen + heat ---> chain reaction ----> FIRE

Have you ever wonder is fire a form of liquid, gas, or solid?

It seems like the ancient Greeks and alchemists thought fire was an element. However, modern chemistry defines element as a pure substance that possesses number of protons.

FIRE is made up of many different substances, therefore, it is NOT an element.

As what I have stated above, most of the part of FIRE is a mixture of hot gases.

When it becomes hot enough, it may be ionized and becomes another state of matter- PLASMA.

The ability to control fire has definitely changed our life. Thanks to our ancestors that have discovered FIRE, we are able to generate heat and light which contribute tremendously in the history of mankind.

What I personally like about FIRE is that it brings Barbeque into my life!

I LOVE TO BBQ!!!

Here are some pictures of us Cousinz BBQ-ing at Tanjung Harapan, Port Klang!

Purposely drove all the way there to BBQ without the adults knowing it, sure get scolded if they know about it, LOL.

We were the only people BBQ-ing there and it felt kindda awkward cz passerbys would look at us, like we were some zoo animals in display. (laughs)

WHO CARES ANYWAY!!!

Trying to start a good fire.

Successful! Now let's dig in!

It ain't BBQ if there are no MARSHMALLOWS!!! (drool)

We even prepared our own chocolate dip.

Mmmm...... tasted so good~

Don't forget to pose for the camera!

Yes! Triumphant pose for successfully evading the adults on our secret BBQ night!

Hidden Message?

Last week when I was watching tv at home, I came across this midnight show on TV3, National Treasure.

This film was produced back in 2004 and after 4-5 years, finally I got to watch it.

In fact, they already had National Treasure 2 up

in 2007. (I'm so outdated)

The story is mainly about searching for a lost treasure, loosely based on a myth of a code written on the back of the Declaration of Independence of America and involving stealing this very old

and important piece of document from the government of U.S.,

which leads to a series of trailsand clues to the hidden treasures.

This film caught my attention when they stole the Declaration of Independence, and by using lemon juice they coat the back of that ancient document to make the hidden codes appear.

Yes, potential blog material!

Scene from National Treasure

============ HOW DOES IT WORK? ==============

Basically, there are 2 ways to make an invisbile ink:

1. The Lemon method

Dab cotton bud in a bowl of lemon juice.

Write your secret message on a piece of paper.

Let it dry.

To make the secret message appear, simply just heat the paper using an iron or light bulb.

*Do not start a fire or burn yourself*

Explanation: Lemon is acidic, it weakens paper even after it is dried.When the acidic part of the paper is heated, it burns or turn brown before the rest of the paper does.

2. The Baking Soda method

Mix about 1/4 cup of baking soda to 1/4 cup of water.

Dab cotton bud and start writing your secret message.

Let it dry.

To make the secret message appear, paint grape juice across the paper.

Explanation: Grape juice is acidic and it reacts with baking soda that stains the paper.

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This makes an interesting project for kids you know!

You can also use this method to write a message to your special someone and make it a secret between just the two of you. How's that for a bit of creativity to spice up the relationship, and the best part is you can be assure that nobody gets to peek into the message you left it on the table!

So what are you waiting for? Come have some fun with your own invisible ink!

Peace out!!!

Free Radicals!

I have always wanted to start a blog of my own but there is one thing I'm afraid of, that is to be glued to the computer.

To have to write a blog, you have to practically sit in front of the computer for the whole day just to finish one posting. Well, at least I have TO... for the sake of this chemistry blog.

We know that all electrical products emit radiations, and we are actually being exposed to radiations 24/7!!!

The human body is an electromagnetic organism. Electricity flows through the nerves of our bodies the same way electricity flows through wires. Electronic devices radiate different frequency that permeates our body, disturbing the natural electromagnetic fields in our bodies.

Do you still feel fatigue even after a full 8 hours night of sleep?

That is because the electromagnetic fields in our bodies are imbalanced.

Besides that, electromagnetic radiations also causes tissue damages by releasing electrons in the body cells, a.k.a. free radicals.

Formation of free radicals:

• Normally bonds don't split in a way that leaves a molecule with an unpaired electorn.
• But when weak bonds split, free radicals are formed.
• Free radicals are very unstable and react quickly with other compounds to gain stability.
• Free radicals attack the nearest stable molecule, 'stealing' its electron.
• When the victim loses its electrons, it becomes a free radical itself.
• The beginning of a chain reaction.

Other factors that contribute to the formation of free radicals.

What harm does it cause?

Disruption of a living cell and eventually leading to substantial biological damage, examples are aging and diseases.

Preventions?

Antioxidants to the rescue!!!

Antioxidants neutralize free radicals by donating one of their own electrons to put an end to the electron-stealing reaction.

They don't become free radicals because they are stable in either form.

Where can I find Antioxidants?

They can be found abundant in beans, grains, berries, fruits and vegetables.

Vitamin A and Carotenoids.

Vitamin C.

Vitamin E.

Selenium.

SO, ARE YOU TAKING ENOUGH ANTIOXIDANTS?

Dangerous Combinations ???

Now, I'm pretty sure that you guys have heard of eating durians with

alcohol is lethal, & there were cases in our country where people had actually died because of this deadly combination.

BESIDES that, I remember receiving an email saying that a girl died of arsenic poisoning after she had consumed prawns and Vitamin C.

ARE THESE TRUE???

Well, although I'm not a fan of the king of fruit, can't say I hate it cause I don't really do.

I just suddenly decided not to eat durians anymore for no reasons back for like...erm... 10 years? Weird huh?

But I like prawns! And when I saw this email I was like, "Are you kidding me?" Somebody died just because she ate prawns with Vitamin C? Food aren't suppose to kill people, they are mean't to be enjoyed without having to fear it might kill you.

For the prawn case, it is NOT TRUE that you will die of arsenic poisoining by consuming prawns with Vitamin C.

Arsenic is a basic element listed on the periodic table of elements. It doesn't form by combining one thing to another.

For fellow foreign students that do not know what a durian is...

ALL HAIL THE KING OF FRUITS!!!

Guys, if you HAVE NOT tried "his royal highness", it's durian season right now, go try it! There is only going to be one outcome, either you'll love it or hate it.

And for those who have tasted it, kudos!

Make sure you take lots of breath mints after that.

And don't fart in class!

Regarding about the lethal combination of durian + alcohol, it seems that durian contains both tyramine and harmaline.

Tyramine

An amine which alevates blood pressure and causes the heart rate to exceed normal range.

Harmaline

A reversible inhibitor of monoamine oxidase (MAO-A). It competes with tyramine for binding to MAO-A so food containing tyramine can be safely consumed.

Bonds that present in reversible inhibition

Hydrogen bonds

Attractive force between one electronegative atom and a hydrogen covalently bonded to another electronegative atom.

Hydrophobic interactions

In chemistry, hydrophobicity refers to the physical property of a molecule (known as a hydrophobe) that is repelled from a mass ofwater.

Ionic bonds

Involves a metal and a non-metal ion through electrostatic attraction. It is a bond formed by the attraction between two oppositely charged ions.The metal donates one or more electrons, forming a positively charged ion or cation with a stable electron configuration. These electrons then enter the non metal, causing it to form a negatively charged ion or anion which also has a stable electron configuration. The electrostatic attraction between the oppositely charged ions causes them to come together and form a bond.

Multiple weak bonds between the inhibitor and the active site combine to produce strong and specific binding. Reversible inhibitors generally do not undergo chemical reactions when bound to the enzyme and can be easily removed by dilution or dialysis.

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The reversibility means that, instead of binding permanently to MAO-A for weeks until the body replaces the MAO-A enzyme molecules, harmaline binds only transiently, so tyramine can be metabolized as well by competing with harmaline for the binding site on the enzyme.This means that the risk of a hypertensive crisis, a dangerous high blood pressure crisis from eating tyramine-rich food such as cheese, is potentially lower with harmaline.

In absence of alcohol tyramine is converted in the gastro-intestinal tract swiftly to the corresponding N-oxide, BUT... with the presence of alcohol, the conversion is greatly inhibited by Harmaline eventually leading the Tyramine level in the blood above acceptable level. Let's not forget that ALCOHOL increases blood pressure and causes hypertensive as well. Therefore,

Tyramine + Alcohol = insanely high blood pressure

Insanely high blood pressure ---> Stroke ---> Paralysis or DEATH

Well, it kindda make sense once you put it that way.

YET, there is this bunch of people that actually challenged this deadly myth by 'buffeting' on durians with beer and red wine and ended just fine, with nothing more than just a bloated stomach.

So, what's the verdict? Deadly? Or not?

I personally think that durians and alcohol shouldn't go together.

If the combination IS lethal then why did the bunch of people above survived it?

My hypothesis is that they are still young + a bit of luck, their body were able to handle the rocket-high blood pressure. Imagine if someone among them had hypertension or an unknown heart problem, that person wouldn't have gotten lucky enough to survive the test.

What do you think?

Nori nori nori !

Nori, a.k.a seaweed is by far one of my favorite food! I find it hard to accept that some

people acutally hate nori! I mean, how could you hate it?! It's so TASTY & high in nutritious value.

Now you might wonder what has nori got to do with the topic CHEMISTRY, well it does actually, from MY POINT of view, LOL.

Now let's see what kind of nutrients does nori have to offer us.

• High in protein
• Phosphorus, Zinc, Iodine, Iron, Potassium, Copper and Manganese
• Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol), Vitamin K, Thiamin, Pantothenic Acid,
• Vitamin B12:Nori is the most excellent source of Vitamin B12 among edible seaweeds. (Especially beneficial for strict vegetarians.)
• Calcium: It provides up to ten times more calcium and iron by weight than dairy products.

Alright, if you ask me what is so chemistry about it? Where is the CHEMISTRY???

My answer will simply be...... Because

P, Zn, I, K, Cu, Mn, Ca, Fe

are elements that are found in the CHEMISTRY Periodic Table!

Wow~how CHEM is that! :D

(p/s: Miss Alice, please don’t penalize my marks even though if you find it lame!)

Now, nori can be used in many dishes either as the main dish or just a garnish. It all depends on your creativity. Below are a few simple recipes that I would normally do.

Seaweed Soup

Ingredients: Seaweed, tomatoes, eggs, anchovies, water, and salt.

1. Boil a pot of water with the anchovies.

2. Cut 2 tomatoes into thick slices and add it into the pot.

3. Add seaweed according to how much you want (but NOT too much).

4. Get 2 eggs, add a pinch of salt and mix them thoroughly. Bit by bit, slowly pour the egg into the pot.

5. Add a pinch of salt if you like your soup a bit more saltier.

6. Let it boil for 3 minutes and the soup is ready to be served.

Sushi

Ingredients: Suchi rice, salt, sugar, vinegar, crab sticks, carrots, cucumbers, eggs, Nori, bamboo roll (optional).

1. Cook rice.

2. Fry egg using folding method.

3. Cut egg, carrots and cucumbers into long slices.

4. Add sugar and salt into rice while it is still hot. Mix thoroughly.

5. Let the rice too cool. Then add vinegar (very small amount). Mix thoroughly.

6. Lay a piece of Nori on the bamboo roll, spread rice on top evenly.

7. Arrange crab sticks, carrot sticks, cucumber sticks and egg slice across rice.

8. Roll the Nori with firm pressure.

9. Cut it into the size you like and serve.

Tada~

NOTE:

*COOK AT OWN RISKS!

Puhleez ask for details before trying any recipes above. Writer will not be held responsible for any food poisoning that occurs.*

Happy trying!

Further enquirees please contact : 016- 9175xxx