Chemistry For Your Life

Latest Episodes:

What makes jalapeños spicy, and what other crazy properties do they have? Oct 10, 2024

Show notes

#048 Rebroadcast

New College-Style Sweatshirt!
And the Ghost Halloween Design is Back!

This week, Melissa and Jam dive into spiciness. What is it? Is it a flavor? Is it a feeling? Is it both? Is it more? Why can some people handle more than others? Does spiciness have any benefits?

References from this episode

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/pharmacology-toxicology-and-pharmaceutical-science/vanilloids
Solomon’s Organic Chemistry 11th edition
Analogues of Capsaicin with Agonist Activity as Novel Analgesic agents; Structure-Activity Studies 2. The Amide Bond “B-Reigion” byWalpole et. al
Similarities and Differences in the Structure−Activity Relationships of Capsaicin and Resiniferatoxin Analogues by Walpole et. al
Detailed Analysis of the Binding Mode of Vanilloids to Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid Type I (TRPV1) by a Mutational and Computational Study by Ohbuchi et. al
The Art and Science of Organic andNatural Products Synthesis - by Nicolau et. al
https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/pressroom/reactions/videos/2015/why-are-hot-peppers-hot-and-how-milk-helps.html

Find us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @ChemForYourLife. Email us at chemforyourlife@gmail.com And check out our chill, simple little website at https://chemforyourlife.transistor.fm/

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Why does ibuprofen take so long to work? Oct 03, 2024

Show notes

#196

New College-Style Sweatshirt!

Melissa and Jam delve into the science behind ibuprofen, exploring why it takes around 30 minutes to work. The discussion covers the chemistry of ibuprofen, including the concept of chiral molecules and enantiomers—molecules with mirror-image forms—highlighting how only one form of ibuprofen works effectively. The episode explains why both forms are included in the medication due to production challenges and discusses recent findings about ibuprofen's potential in cancer treatment. Additionally, the show features various fun facts about ibuprofen, aspirin comparisons, environmentally friendly production methods, and more.

00:00 Introduction and Episode Overview
05:07 Chemistry Lesson: Handedness of Molecules
17:52 Ibuprofen's Chiral Nature and Its Effects
19:15 The Racemic Mixture of Ibuprofen
24:06 The Wastefulness of Chemistry
24:29 Challenges of Purifying Enantiomers
25:16 Economic and Environmental Considerations
26:28 Understanding Ibuprofen's Handedness
27:26 The Debate on Enantiomer Separation
34:45 Fun Facts About Ibuprofen
39:55 Green Chemistry and Ibuprofen
45:42 Community and Closing Remarks

References from this episode:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4276492/
https://thispodcastwillkillyou.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/TPWKY-Episode-29-Aspirin.pdf
https://www.chemistryworld.com/podcasts/ibuprofen/4011375.article
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/epdf/10.1021/bi010045s?ref=article_openPDF
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4355401/ 6. Garret & Grisham Biochemistry Textbook

We want to give a special thanks to Bri McAllister for illustrating molecules for some episodes! Please go check out Bri’s art, follow and support her at entr0pic.artstation.com and @McAllisterBri on twitter!

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Ask a Chemist: Does raw milk have more bacteria? (and other questions) Sep 26, 2024

Show notes

Question and Response #60

New College-Style Sweatshirt!

In this episode of 'Ask a Chemist' on the Chemistry for Your Life podcast, hosts Melissa and Jam tackle a diverse range of fun and fascinating chemistry questions. Topics include the differences between oxygen in water and air, the properties of jello, the mystery behind glitter, and the impact of pasteurization on milk safety. The episode also addresses more complex inquiries such as infrared spectroscopy and the oxidative stability of whole grain flour.

00:00 Introduction to Ask a Chemist
02:39 The Pasteurization Question
08:51 What Makes Jello Jello?
10:06 Oxygen in Water vs. Air
12:40 The Mystery of Glitter
15:46 Infrared Spectroscopy and Northern Lights
18:29 Oxidation in Flour
22:17 Collagen and Muscle Building
26:06 Listener Reviews and Closing Remarks

References from this episode:

https://www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/l.vanloon

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How do pain killers relieve pain? Sep 19, 2024

Show notes

#195

New College-Style Sweatshirt!

In this episode of Chemistry For Your Life, hosts Melissa and Jam delve into the science behind ibuprofen, a common pain reliever. They discuss the role of prostaglandins in inflammation, how ibuprofen inhibits the cox enzyme to reduce pain, and the body's natural immune response. They also share personal anecdotes about meeting listeners, their favorite types of ibuprofen, and explore plans for future episodes about other pain relievers.

00:00 Introduction and Personal Anecdote
01:00 Meet the Hosts
01:11 Exciting Announcements
02:46 Listener Shoutout
05:41 Understanding Pain and Inflammation
06:48 The Role of Prostaglandins
14:38 How Ibuprofen Works
18:15 Personal Experiences with Pain
21:16 Preview of Next Episode
22:10 Understanding Pain and Inflammation
23:07 The Role of Prostaglandins
24:50 Enzymes and Their Functions
27:11 How Ibuprofen Works
35:11 Personal Experiences with Ibuprofen
40:42 Supporting the Show and Final Thoughts

References from this episode:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4276492/
https://thispodcastwillkillyou.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/TPWKY-Episode-29-Aspirin.pdf
https://www.chemistryworld.com/podcasts/ibuprofen/4011375.article
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/epdf/10.1021/bi010045s?ref=article_openPDF
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4355401/ 6. Garret & Grisham Biochemistry Textbook

Thanks to our monthly supporters

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J0HNTR0Y
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Suzanne Phillips
Venus Rebholz
Lyn Stubblefield
Jacob Taber
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Why do we use fluoride on our teeth? Sep 12, 2024

Show notes

#060

Chances are you've heard the word "fluoride" said in reference to your teeth. At the dentists office, on your bottle of mouthwash, maybe you've heard it's in tap water? But what is it, what's so special about it, and how does it help our teeth? Does it make them whiter, stronger, or what? Let's find out.

References from this episode

https://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdf/10.1021/la4008558
https://www.mouthhealthy.org/en/fluoride-superhero
General Chemistry 2nd edition Flowers, Theopold, Langley, Robinson

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What are dental fillings and how are they chemistry? Sep 05, 2024

Show notes

#194

In this episode of Chemistry for Your Life, Melissa and Jam delve into the chemistry behind modern dental fillings. They explore how dentists use a combination of organic monomers and inorganic fillers to address cavities and the role of light-activated photoinitiators in hardening these materials. Melissa also shares her personal experiences and recent achievements, introduces new community members, and compares amusing dental scenes in pop culture.

00:00 Introduction and Dentist Experiences
00:38 Chemistry in Everyday Life
02:11 Community Updates and Announcements
04:44 Understanding Dental Fillings
08:39 The Science Behind Polymerization
19:08 The Role of Light in Dental Fillings
26:01 The Reaction Begins
26:22 Mixing Dental Materials
27:47 Personal Dental Experiences
30:51 Understanding Polymerization
35:42 Photo Initiators and Family Tangents
43:12 Pop Culture Dentist Moments
48:35 Wrapping Up and Community Shoutouts

References from this episode:

https://pubs.acs.org/doi/epdf/10.1021/ed076p1497?ref=article_openPDF
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7867280/

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Ask a Chemist: Reddit's Chemistry Questions Answered Aug 29, 2024

Show notes

Question and Response #59

Reddit's Chemistry Questions Answered In this episode of 'Chemistry for Your Life,' hosts Melissa and Jam dive into Reddit to answer chemistry-related questions. They explore why ice in a fizzy drink causes more fizz, how stainless steel removes onion smells from hands, when to email professors for recommendation letters, and discuss a controversial prank by an organic chemistry professor. The hosts provide insightful and engaging explanations while also sharing personal anecdotes and practical advice for students.

00:00 Introduction to Reddit Chemistry Questions
00:55 Why Does Ice Make Fizzy Drinks Fizz More?
03:09 How Does Stainless Steel Remove Onion Smell?
06:53 When to Email Professors About Recommendation Letters
10:19 Am I the Jerk for Pranking My Students?
23:06 Conclusion and Listener Engagement

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What is up with RAW milk? Aug 22, 2024

Show notes

#193

In this episode of Chemistry for Your Life, hosts Melissa and Jam delve into the chemistry of milk, focusing on the differences between raw and pasteurized milk. They discuss the processes of pasteurization and homogenization, how they affect the nutritional content of milk, and answer listener questions about raw milk's spoilage, nutritional values, and bacteria. The episode also highlights important safety considerations associated with consuming raw milk and addresses common misconceptions. The hosts also shout out their Patreon supporters and encourage others to join their community.

00:00 Introduction to Milk and Pasteurization
00:53 Listener Questions and Raw Milk Discussion
01:53 Shoutout to Patreon Member Scott B
02:38 Deep Dive into Pasteurization
05:29 Chemistry Lesson: Proteins and Pasteurization
22:27 Heating Milk at Home
23:30 Raw Milk: Myths and Facts
25:02 Pasteurization and Nutritional Content
29:22 Risks of Drinking Raw Milk
32:21 Homogenization Explained
38:18 Milk Hot Takes and Fun Facts
43:14 Conclusion and Community Shoutouts

References from this episode:

https://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/as/as-612-w.pdf
https://winnebago.extension.wisc.edu/2020/12/08/the-dangers-of-raw-milk/
https://realrawmilkfacts.com/raw-milk-news/sdsu-extension-raw-milk-and-home-pasteurization
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/pasteurization
https://pubmed-ncbi-nlm-nih-gov.libproxy.library.unt.edu/22054181/
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0362028X22128449?via%3Dihub
https://pubsapp.acs.org/cen/whatstuff/stuff/7945sci2.html
https://youtu.be/LFKVKshX5tQ
https://www.fda.gov/food/alerts-advisories-safety-information/updates-highly-pathogenic-avian-influenza-hpai

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What happens to eggs when we cook them? (with Jason Cress) Aug 15, 2024

Show notes

#071 Rebroadcast

It's time to crack into one of life's great mysteries: eggs. So what happens when we cook them?! How do they go from clear goo to white jiggle? This is a question we received long ago, and with topics this serious, we don't yoke around. So we waited until we could bring in an eggsperienced egg chef, Jason Cress, to figure out this topic with us. In Jam's opinion, Jason's insight on the topic of eggs just can't be beat. We know many of you guys may be busy with some (hopefully safe) version of Thanksgiving, but despite the holiday we couldn't pass on the chance to shell out another episode for you guys, especially for our friends around the world, who are just experiencing a regular ol' Thursday today. Well without further ado, let's ap-poach this mystery together.

References from this episode

Biochemistry Garret & Grisham Fourth Edition
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdf/10.1021/acs.jchemed.6b00319
https://www.nature.com/scitable/blog/scibytes/why_do_eggs_hardboil/
https://askabiologist.asu.edu/activities/breaking-proteins
https://chicagoacs.org/articles/126

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Bonus: Fun Fact or Fake Factoid?! A Chemistry and Trivia Showdown Aug 08, 2024

Show notes

In this bonus game edition of 'Chemistry For Your Life', host Melissa, co-host Jam, and guest Claire embark on an entertaining journey of debunking or verifying popular 'fun facts' submitted by their listeners. The game, titled 'Fun Fact or Fake Factoid', involves dissecting quirky trivia ranging from the pollination of tomatoes to the weight of all ants versus humans, and the smell of old books. The episode blends humor, friendly competition, and scientific inquiry, including surprising personal anecdotes and genuine compliments. Special thanks are given to the show's Patreon supporters who contributed the intriguing facts for this episode.

00:00 Introduction and Game Setup
03:32 First Fun Fact: Tomato Pollination
07:15 Second Fun Fact: Ants vs. Humans
11:52 Third Fun Fact: The Smell of Old Books
13:49 The Smell of Old Books Explained
14:47 Vanilla and Dopamine Connection
15:26 Fun Fact: Glacial Ice and Freshwater
18:34 Longest Word Typed with Left Hand
22:12 The Egg Inside Your Grandma
25:13 Wrapping Up and Thank Yous
References from this episode:

https://nenativeplants.psla.uconn.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/3415/2021/11/Constructing-Bee-Habitats-for-Crops-Benefiting-Buzz-Pollinators.pdf
https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/ent-0092
https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2201550119
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/ac9016049
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10818928/
https://www.rd.com/article/longest-word-type-left-hand/
https://www.rogelcancercenter.org/fertility-preservation/for-female-patients/normal-ovarian-function#:~:text=Current%20knowledge%20indicates%20that%20females,number%20of%20eggs%20each%20month.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK26842/

We want to give a VERY special thanks to Claire for sharing her knowledge with us and for her most pleasant company!

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