The chemistry of love

Is that really a chemistry of love? We can blame our chemicals for everything. Surprisingly chemistry does play an important role in how a relationship progresses. The common symptoms of love, like sweaty palms and restlessness, is causing by a natural chemical. Researchers say this is due to the dopamine, norepinephrine and phenylethylamine we're releasing, and these are commonly known as the 'love molecule'. Dopamine is thought to be the pleasure chemical, producing a feeling of bliss. Norepinephrine is similar to adrenaline and produces the racing heart and excitement. Those love molecule are being released from the brain due to triggered from deceptively simple actions like the meeting of the eyes or touching of the hands. Heady emotions, racing pulses and heavy breathing results, and all these are clinically explained as an overdose of this chemical. Besides, a very interesting thing is that chocolate is known to have very high level of this chemical. Thus, this is the reason why chocolate is considered a perfect gift for valentine.

The latest discovery is the arrangement of molecules in this chemicals. And this discovery actually will making the whole world to be EXCITED. Why? Imagine that scientist can actually concoct love potions. In other words, mankind could be on its way to isolating the chemical compound and making drugs that can induce these reactions in us. Meaning, you take the drug, and you fall in love with the next person you see. Wow.. Imagine the chaos that the world will face. But the scientists say that as of now, this discovery will be used to find out how it can help in some other chemical reactions, to cure disease or other, more useful pursuits and research. At this point of time, research on the phenylethylamine molecule breakthrough could be extremely helpful in testing of chemicals related to mental illness. Parkinson's disease could be one.

High levels of dopamine are also associated with norepinephrine, which heightens attention, short-term memory, hyperactivity, sleeplessness and goal-oriented behavior. In other words, couples in this stage of love focus intently on the relationship and often on little else.

Another interesting chemical is oxytoxin, the 'cuddling' chemical. It promotes the need to be physically held, have close contact with he mate and makes both the sexes more caring. It can be released simply by a lover’s look, smell or even a fantasy.

So much for the chemistry of infatuation. When infatuation subsides, another chemical takes over, which is responsible for intimate relationships. These chemicals are created by endorphins. They make a relationship steadier, intimate, dependable, warm and a great sharing experience. They do not induce a giddy high, but calmness and stability…hence are the reason why people stay married. The longer they are married, the longer two people stay together, because this chemical is addictive. It is endorphins that trigger grief on a spouse’s death or long separation, those yearnings for togetherness. The two types of attachments can be summed up as follows, adrenaline love is being in love with the idea of being in love. While endorphins, we like loving someone.

So much for the magic of love and the realms written on it. It did come out of a bottle after all and continues to afflict us generations after generation.

VITAGEN- my favourite drink!

As everyone know, vitagen is good to our digestive system. Has anyone wonder how good it is? We shall find it.

First, we look for the ingredient in vitagen.
- Dietary fiber (Inuin & polydextrose)
- Fructose
- Milk Solids
- Surcrose
- Glucose
- Permitted Stabilizers
- Permitted Flavouring
- Permitted Colouring
- Lactobacillus culture (probiotics)


Basically it is like most cultured milk products. They difference would be just the amount of sugar, other flavourings and the type of bacteria used. I would highly recommend everyone to drink a bottle of Vitagen per day. It does contains probiotics that helps to maintain a healthy gut flora. A healthy gut flora in turn makes our digestive system work better and also suppresses the growth of bad bacteria. Besides, it is also convenient. Just grab a bottle from your fridge and drink up on the way to work.

The Healthier Probiotics Drink. I do really like it. I prefer the LB flavour. Not so sweet like others cultured milk products. and doesn’t leave any stickiness in your mouth.

Glucose
Introduction To Glucose
- Chemical Formula - C6H12O6
- An Important Carbohydrate in Biology
- Living Cells use it as a source of Energy
- Has a lower tendency, as compared to other hexose sugars, to non-specifically react with the amino groups of proteins
- Glucose is a primary source of energy for the brain

Sucrose
Introduction To Sucrose
- Chemical Formula - C12H22O11
- Pure sucrose is most often prepared as a fine, white, odorless, crystalline powder with a pleasing, sweet taste
- Sucrose is the most common food sweetener.

Fructose
Introduction To Fructose
- Chemical Formula - C6H12O6
- Found in Many Food along with Glucose & Galactose.
- Normally in combination with Glucose to form sucrose
- Derived from the digestion of granulated table sugar (sucrose)

Probiotic Cultures

Each bottle of vitagen has billions of live probiotic cultures. Probiotic cultures that used can withstand stomach's gastric juice, bile and reach the intestines active to fight harmful bacteria.

Benefits:
- Help in digestive system.
- Increase the number of good bacteria (probiotic cultures) in the intestines.
- Suppresses the growth of harmful bacteria, thus, improve the environment of the intestines
- Help to maintain a healthy digestive system.

Prebiotic Fibre (Dietary Fibre)

Prebiotic fibre helps support growth of good bacteria and thus will maintain a better intestinal environment. Each bottle of vitagen has 7.5g of dietary fibre and makes up almost 28% of the recommended daily dietary fibre intake. (The recommended dietary fibre intake is 21g to 26g.)

Benefits:
- Aid digestion.
- Act as food for probiotic cultures.
- Help support growth of good bacteria in the intestines.


Besides, we also have vitagen collagen nowadays.

What is Collagen?

Collagen is the main protein of connective tissue in animals and the most abundant protein in animals and it making up about 40% of the total mass. Collagen is the main component of skin, cartilage, ligaments and tendons, and the main protein component of bone and teeth due to its tough and inextensible (with great tensile strength) property. Along with soft keratin, it is responsible for skin strength and elasticity. Futhermore, its degradation leads to wrinkles that accompany aging. Collagen accounts for 70% of the skin dermis, and it supports the skin being supple and taut. The lack of collagen will affect the epidermis and the keratin layer will crumble and droop. This results in sagging skin or wrinkles.



Collagen has been clinically proven to help maintain healthy human body joint function, supporting athletic activities and everyday movement. Usually, athletes and bodybuilders place a great deal of strain on ligaments and joints, and hence leading to injury. Besudes, as people age, the connective tissues wear out and are prone to damage. Fortunately, collagen supplements can help with re-synthesizing and preserving collagen and counteract some of the wear and tear of the joints.


Just remember that drink one bottle per day to help maintain a healthy digestive system!

A Colour Fire

Just a few days before, my friend had showing me a lighter that having a colour fire. This reminds me that, I had join a scout activity that they having a coloured camp fire. So I just wanted to know how to colour the fire. Coloured flames in camp fire are a way to bring some laughter. Coloured flames are also a great way to make people think you are a little magical.

What is the Theory behind the Colour Flames?
Behind the beautiful colour of the flames, there is a complex chemical process behind it. The process involves the Bohr Theory and jumping electrons. The Bohr Theory of the atom says that electrons occupy only one energy level at a time. Atoms with enough energy "jump" to higher, less stable, energy levels. When atoms lose energy they "fall" back to the lower, more stable energy levels. These two types of energy, "falling" and "jumping" are emitted though photon electromagnetic radiation. If the energy is visible light, then the colour of the light depends on if the atoms are "jumping" or "falling". These moving atoms are excited and produce specific lines in its spectrum. A flame test excites these atoms and knocks the ones residing in the higher, less stable levels down to lower energy levels, changing the colour of the flames. The wavelength (colour) of light that is given off is a characteristic of the elements present in the fuel and surrounding air. There is no one proper colour to fire, but since people tend to mainly burn carbon compounds in a mainly nitrogen atmosphere, there is an orange colour we are used to seeing and thinking of as the colour of fire.

Different Colour with Different Flame Colourant
If want to produce other colours, we just have to introduce other elements to the flame, so that they can give off their own characteristic colours.
Metal ions tend to provide the most dramatic colours.

Red - Strontium Chloride
Orange - Calcium Chloride (a bleaching powder)
Yellow - Sodium Chloride (table salt)or Sodium Carbonate
Green - Copper Sulfate
Blue - Copper Chloride
Violet - 3 parts Potassium Sulfate1 part Potassium Nitrate (saltpeter)
Purple - Potassium Chloride

How to Prepare Colour Fire?
The comment experiment is to place a little of the salt in a wire loop which is then held in the flame of a laboratory burner. Then this will generates the colour for observation, but requires continuous working and usually will only colour some parts of the flame.
The alternative method is to dissolve a little of the salt in ethanol in a non-flammable container. The mixture is then being light up. Alcohol flames produce very little visible light, so most of what you see is directly due to the metal.

Points to Keep in Mind
· The element sodium burns with the comment yellow flame. This element can overwhelm any other color. If you are making a dry mixture of colourants, you should avoid including any colourant that include sodium in it.
· If you are using alcohol-based colorants: Remember that alcohol is flammable. You should allow it to evaporate before use to avoid a lighter-fluid effect. Use with CARE!
· Don't colour BBQ fire! The colorants may produce pretty flames, and thus can also produce toxic food.
· Keep the colourants away from children. Handle them with the care and respect due to potentially hazardous chemicals. Read and follow to any warnings listed on product labels.

Hair Colouring - Health and Beauty

Hair colouring has becomes a trend nowadays. Women got bored with the same colour hair for years and would like to change it just like changing their purse or their shoes. Dyeing hair with natural products is beneficial for health while the same with dyeing chemicals are harmful. Researches have found that dyeing hair with chemicals can be the cause of cancer.

There are 2 types of hair dyer available in market. One is made from natural ingredients and another one is chemicals. Concern about the chemical ingredients in hair dyer. In chemical and paint industry lead is commonly being used, lead acetate is use in most in hair dyer. Leads are high metallic element and very harmful for human body. Surely lead acetate is harmful and caution for any internal use.

There are several types of hair colouring.
1. Temporally hair colour
The pigment molecules in temporary hair colour are large and can easily removed with a single showering.
2. Semi-permanent hair colour
This hair dyer has smaller pigment molecule compare to the temporally hair dyer. For this reason, colour will remain for repeated washing, about 4-5 shampoos. Semi-permanent hair dyer contain no developer, peroxide or ammonia and therefor less harm for damaged hair. However, it may still contain toxic compound, for example P-Phenylenediamine.
3. Permanent hair colour
This product contain both a developer (usually hydrogen peroxide) or oxidizing agent and an alkalizing agent, ammonia. When the alkalizing compound combine with the developer, the peroxide become alkaline and diffuses into hair fibre entering the cortex where the melanin is located. Lightening occurs when peroxide breaks up the melanin and replace it with a new colour. The ammonia opens the cuticle of the hair to allow the color pigments to penetrate deep into the hair shaft. This kind of dyer is truly permanent and would not wash out.

How would hair dyer affect our health? Scalp is a sensitive part of human body. Since the base of hair is scalp, dyeing hair may cause allergic reaction. Symptoms of these reactions can include redness, sores, itching, burning sensation and discomfort. Dyeing hair may also causing hair breakage. Since hair has been damaged by chemical, this bring effect in dry, rough and fragile hair. Treatment maybe available to keep the healthy hair but most efficient solution is to stop the use of chemical hair dyer. The other effect of hair dyeing is skin discoloration. Skin and fingernails are made of the same type of keratin protein as hair. Drips and slips of extra hair tint around the hairline can result in patches of discolored skin.

Dyeing hair may cause cancer! As mentioned above, lead acetate can be potentially toxic.
Recently, a human carcinogen, 4-ABP was being found in some hair dyer. Not only the person who is applying hair dyer on his/her hair, but hair professionals or hair stylists are also at the risk.

Battery Pollution Endangers the Evnironment

Batteries are everywhere nowadays. They are in cell phone, electric toothbrush clock and literally in dozens of other devices around home and workplace. However, widespread use of batteries has bring many environmental problems. Of course, chemicals are not all equally toxic. The three worst "baddies" in battery are lead, cadmium and mercury. Other battery compounds like silver, zinc, and nickel can also be problems, but less so.

As we know, batteries don't last forever. The discarded batteries actually created many environmental concerns. Chemicals contain in batteries are a significant source of contaminants. These batteries are divided into several types, each with their own potential toxic elements. The two most common batteries types are alkaline and carbon or zinc. Batteries contain 20-50%of mercury according to Utah Department of Environmental Quality, ''Pollution Prevention Fact Sheet''.
When discarded batteries buried in landfills, batteries casing will corrode. Thus, may causing the mercury leak into land and heavy metal leach into soil and groundwater. Thus eventually into the food chain and drinking water supply. Up to 80% of mercury runoff from landfills is from batteries alone according to Marc Lecard.

What we have to do to all the dead batteries? The proper way is to recycle them. Batteries enable our mobility, so it is likely society will be using lots more batteries in the future. Thus, to ensure that we're not slowly poisoning our environment, it is important that we do a good job of recycling batteries.