Chemistry @richieg06 - Tumblr Blog

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/03/140309150534.htm

Scientists at the University of East Anglia have identified four new human-made gases in the atmosphere, which are contributing to the destruction of the ozone layer. Three new CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons) and one new HCFC (hydrochlorofluorocarbon) have recently been released in the atmosphere. Two of these gases are quickly accumulating. CFCs are the main cause of the hole in the ozone layer, and with more CFCs accumulating in the atmosphere, this can become a problem.

It is very interesting and scary at the same time that gases can be made up of things that are so destructible and harmful to the environment. Hopefully we will soon be able to find out how to reduce the accumulation of these four new harmful gases in the atmosphere.

I am signed up at a gym and have been to other gyms as well, but I never took the time to think about why dumbbells are made out of either plastic, chrome, neoprene, or iron. I found Spencer's blog to be very helpful in discussing why dumbbells are made out of certain materials. To read his full blog go to this link: http://okspenco.tumblr.com/

Spencer talked about what these kinds of dumbbells are made out of, but when doing my own research, I found of that plastic, chrome, neoprene, and iron are very general, and there are many different kinds of dumbbells within these categories. For example, there are hex, rubber hex, pro style, and rubber pro style dumbbells. Hex dumbbells have steel handles and iron head with a coat of paint, and rubber hex dumbbells are the same but are rubber coated instead of being painted. These dumbbells are also used for smaller weight. Pro style and rubber pro style dumbbells are found in commercial gyms and are generally heavier weights. This relates to chemistry because of the materials that are used to make these dumbbells. For example, iron is used to make heavier dumbbells because it is a heavier material.

After reading Emily's blog post about grass, I also found it very interesting that something that seems so simple has many environmental functions. I also found it very cool that grass if made up of 70% water. Emily stated a few functions of grass, but I was able to find some more function and facts after looking at multiple links. Grass is able to absorb water and keep the ground moisturized but it also allows the soil to be firm. The "grass family" is one of the largest on Earth with over 9,000 known species. Lastly, grass is a major food source because rice, corn and oats come from grass plants, and most livestock animals feed primarily on grasses.

To read Emily's blog post go to this link:

http://w0rldofchemistry.tumblr.com/post/78078766504/the-chemistry-of-grass-www-chemistryislife-com

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/a-nasal-spray-promises-to-prevent-ptsd/

A nasal spray is being worked on to prevent post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The spray works by sending neuropeptide Y (NPY), a signaling protein, deep into the nose and up into the brain. It then prevents the brain's stress system from kicking into overdrive and causing PTSD.

Although this has just been tested on rats, it could possibly prevent PTSD, which many people suffer from and which causes disruption of sleep, mood, and sometimes trauma.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/viral-color-sensors/

-Scientists have created sensors made of bundles of viruses known as bacteriophages. Similar to the tissues in turkey skin, these virus bundles can change the color pattern of the sensor by expanding or contracting. Since the bacteriophages respond differently to different substances, they make unique color patterns when exposed to organic compounds like hexane or methanol.

-These sensors are important because they can detect dangerous substances such as TNT.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/new-glue-could-seal-heart-surgeries-14-01-13/

About three-quarters of a million open heart surgeries take place annually in the U.S. An international team of scientists have created their own glue or adhesive that could quickly seal tissue. It becomes active when exposed to UV light, which gives surgeons control. "Once it is stuck in place, it seals the tissue, remains intact in the blood, and stays strong and flexible enough to withstand blood flow and the force of a heartbeat." It's also biodegradable.

This is very interesting that they have made a glue strong enough to seal tissue after an open heart surgery. This method is probably also easier than previous ways of sealing.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/mars-water-search-for-life/

Scientists have found new signs of water on the planet Mars. They say that each year the rover picks up more on the planet, but this time the evidence may help us to answer if life is on mars. The lake of water was seemed to be as big as NY states finger lakes. They then drilled two holes to study geology and chemistry in it.

This is a very interesting article because it makes the probability of life being on Mars that much greater. It will be interesting to see more and more evidence being found about life on Mars.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/01/140122091950.htm

Researchers at the University of Texas have developed a new source of renewable energy from genetically engineered yeast cells. The yeast produces oils and fats that can be used in place of certain petroleum products. The research team was able to rewire yeast cells to enable 90% of the cell mass to become lipids and then be able to produce biodiesel.

The advantages of using the yeast cells to produce biodiesel is that they can be grown anywhere, and they do not compete with land resources. Because petroleum is a non-renewable resource and will eventually run out, creating a substitute for it, such as these yeast cells, is very beneficial to the environment.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/01/140122134156.htm

In the US, someone suffers a heart attack every 34 seconds, which is why scientists are trying to find a way to engineer new heart tissue that could eventually be implanted into patients. Scientists are reporting good news about an approach that was tested on rat cells. The trick is to find materials that are nontoxic and won't get attacked by the body's immune system and allow for muscle cells to pass the electrical signals necessary for the heart to beat. Previous research has found that chitosan can possibly work.

This is very important because adult heart tissue can't heal itself very well, and the only way to fix a heart is a transplant. Scientists can limit the risk of something going wrong with a transplant, and the process of fixing your heart would not be as complicated.

http://www.chemistrytimes.com/research/Laundering_money_--_literally_--_could_save_billions_of_dollars.asp

-As money travels around, it eventually gets very dirty or something happens to it causing it to be shredded. Instead of destroying it, scientists have discovered a new way to clean paper money in order to prevent it from being shredded. This could save billions of dollars and decrease the environmental impact that banknote disposal has.

-This is important because it can save a tremendous amount of money, while also benefiting the environment. As a nation, we are in a tremendous amount of debt, and saving billions a year because of this will help us pay our debt. Also, this benefiting the environment is very important because it is one less thing that takes part in destroying the environment.

http://www.chemistrytimes.com/research/Evidence_of_harmful_effect_of_bisphenol_A-based_plastics.asp

-Bisphenol A impairs the function of proteins that are vital for growth processes in cells. This substance is contained in many plastic products and is though to be hazardous to our health. It has been assumed that this substance, bisphenol A produces this harmful effect by binding to hormone receptors.

This is important because this substance, contained in many plastics, can be harmful to our heath. Because of this find, a change can be made to plastics so that bisphenol A is no longer in them, and we will no longer be in harm.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/17/science/space/noble-molecules-found-in-space.html

-European astronomers say they have detected noble gas molecules in space for the first time. Researchers at University College of London were measuring the amount of dust in the remnants of various supernovas, when they discovered, based on the frequency of the emissions, molecular ions of argon hydride. This discovery also helps confirm existing theories of how argon is formed.

This is important to chemistry because they have discovered a new noble gas. This just goes to show that even with the technology we have today, new things are always being discovered even when we think we know everything.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/articles/l/lewis_structure.htm

-Lewis structure, also called electron-dot diagrams, are diagrams that show the bonding between atoms of a molecule, and the lone pairs of electrons that may exist in the molecule. Lewis structures show each atom in the structure of the molecule using its chemical symbol. For an individual atom, a dot is placed around the atom for each valence electron available. The dots are drawn on the top, right, bottom, and then left of the atom.

This article stood out to me because we just learned about this in class, and now it is appearing in a science article.

http://www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/2013/09/coriander-cilantro-water-purification

-Researchers have found that coriander leaves have heavy metal binding properties and are said to be able to provide safer drinking water in some countries. They are now trying to find ways to purify water in large-scales, and have a goal to create something similar to tea bags but with coriander leaves.

This is important because it can be helpful to many countries since coriander is highly accessible in many countries. Coriander could lead to safer drinking water since many countries toxins contaminate water supplies.

http://www.acs.org/content/dam/acsorg/education/whatischemistry/scienceforkids/articles/synthetics-in-athletics.pdf

-Just like many other things, sports involve chemistry. Many materials which are used in sports today are made in labs by chemists who use synthetics. For example, older swimsuits were made of cotton whereas modern swimsuits are made out of nylon and spandex that allows swimmers to quickly glide through the water. Many other advances have been made in sports, such as preventing sports injuries. This relates to chemistry because elements and compounds are used in sports.

http://www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/2013/09/cocaine-addiction-enzyme-treatment-butyrylcholinesterase

- Cocaine is one of the most highly addictive, illegal drugs in the world. Scientists, however, are now close to finding the first medicinal treatment to stop cocaine addictions. Enzymes are being modified to hydrolyze cocaine faster than it ever could before. Scientists have discovered that they can use an enzyme to accelerate the natural metabolic pathway of cocaine. This will produce an inactive substance that can’t harm the body. Butyrylcholinesterase breaks down cocaine slowly, but mutants of this enzymes were successfully created to break it down faster. These mutants have had less catalytic activity making it more suitable to become a medication. Therefore, scientists believe that the mutant enzymes can be used to help cure cocaine addictions. This is very important because so many people suffer from cocaine addictions, and this medication would be able to save many people from their addiction.

http://www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/2013/09/detection-system-mustard-gas-simulant

-Mustard gas can be fatal and burns the skin, eyes, and respiratory system, which is why the U.S. wants to find a simple and cheap way to detect it. At the University of Texas, two people are close to finding a way to detect it, and they have created a system that changes to a blue color in the presence of mustard. They used a dithiol and squarine dye system in order to make this work. They have had success when testing half-mustard, the mustard gas stimulant, but they need to test the real mustard gas. It is important to create a gas detection system for this because it could save the lives of many.

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