Chemistry at Home: Chromatography Rebroadcast
Originally Published June 29, 2020
Here's another bonus episode dedicated to teaching a specific chemistry experiment you can do at home. This month, we see what happens when we combine markers, coffee filters, and water. Let's do chemistry!
Watch the experiment here!
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13:29
How do pregnancy tests actually work?
#210
Melissa and Jam dive into the science of home pregnancy tests. They explore the process in which these tests detect the presence of the hormone HCG, which signals a positive pregnancy result. The episode explains the roles of capillary action, antibodies, and enzymes in the test's operation and discusses the specificity needed to avoid false positives and negatives. The hosts also share personal anecdotes related to pregnancy tests and offer gratitude to their supportive community. This episode offers a fascinating look at how everyday chemistry impacts our lives in important ways.
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00:00 Introduction and Personal Experiences with Pregnancy Tests
00:17 Curiosity and Chemistry in Everyday Life
04:18 Acknowledging the Community and Supporters
05:09 The Science Behind Pregnancy Tests
06:33 How Pregnancy Tests Detect Hormones
13:19 Ensuring Accuracy in Pregnancy Tests
22:56 Introduction to the Blue and Yellow Balls Analogy
24:12 Understanding the Antibody Mechanism
26:45 Biotin and Its Impact on Test Results
29:33 Personal Stories and Fun Facts
32:06 The Benefits of the Pee Style Device
37:29 Conclusion and Listener Engagement
References from this episode:
https://www.acs.org/pressroom/reactions/library/how-do-pregnancy-tests-work.html
https://www.compoundchem.com/2018/11/09/pregnancy-tests/
https://www.sigmaaldrich.com/US/en/technical-documents/technical-article/clinical-testing-and-diagnostics-manufacturing/ivd-manufacturing/intro-horseradish-peroxidase-hrp-applications?srsltid=AfmBOorCr6_j7sKr8ZBm3jQa4Rz-PdxyabPLY4OO-KtQJZESFXpdRe19#lateral-flow-assays
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK555922/
https://www.thermofisher.com/us/en/home/life-science/protein-biology/protein-biology-learning-center/protein-biology-resource-library/pierce-protein-methods/overview-elisa.html#:~:text=The%20most%20commonly%20used%20enzyme,an%20HRP%20or%20AP%20conjugate.
Thanks to our monthly supporters
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Julie S.
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Chelsea M
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Scott B
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Ciara L
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Jeannette N
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Erica B
Elizabeth P
Sarah M
Rachel R
Letila
Katrina B
Suzanne P
Venus R
Lyn S
Jacob T
Brian K
Emerson W
Kristina G
Timothy P
Steven B
Chris and Claire S
Chelsea B
Avishai B
Hunter R
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40:21
Ask a Chemist: Are all food dyes bad? (and other questions)
Ask a Chemist #66
Melissa and Jam dive into a range of listener-submitted questions exploring everyday chemistry. Topics include the chemistry behind toasting herbs, the effect of gravity on elemental bonds, the purpose and ethics of creating elements with short half-lives, and the effectiveness of cough medicine. They also discuss potential causes of mysterious holes in clothing, the debate on food dyes, and the impact of politics on scientific research funding. The hosts wrap up by addressing various listener questions and sharing some heartwarming and supportive messages from their audience.
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00:00 Introduction
01:24 Toasting Herbs: The Chemistry Behind the Flavor
03:05 Gravity's Role in Chemical Bonding
06:44 The Ethics of Creating New Elements
10:17 How Cough Medicine Works
13:06 The Debate on Food Dyes
15:57 The Yellow Cheese Phenomenon
16:35 Colorful Ceviche and Natural Foods
17:58 Chemistry Hot Takes and Listener Questions
19:03 Cleaning Lab Counters and Acid Holes
21:10 Listener Feedback and Podcast Reflections
25:33 Impact of Politics on Science Funding
29:19 Encouraging Messages from Listeners
30:40 Supporting the Podcast and Final Thanks
References from this episode:
https://www.rsc.org/news-events/community/2017/jan/new-elements/
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Erica B
Elizabeth P
Sarah M
Rachel R
Letila
Katrina B
Suzanne P
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Lyn S
Jacob T
Brian K
Emerson W
Kristina G
Timothy P
Steven B
Chris and Claire S
Chelsea B
Avishai B
Hunter R
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33:18
How do plants defy gravity to "drink" water?
#209
Melissa and Jam dive into the fascinating chemistry behind how plants transport water from their roots to their leaves, effectively defying gravity. They explore processes such as capillary action and the cohesion tension mechanism, citing a primary source from Nature journal. Melissa and Jam also touch on key chemistry concepts like water polarity, hydrogen bonding, and osmosis, providing examples from everyday life. Jam shares a personal story about germinating an apple seed with his son, while Melissa discusses her adventures in native plant gardening. The episode concludes with a shoutout to their Patreon supporters and details on upcoming Chemistry for Your Life merch.
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
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00:00 Introduction and Tea Talk
00:17 Plants Defying Gravity
01:05 Welcome to Chemistry for Your Life
01:20 Listener Question: Chemistry of Pregnancy Tests
02:11 Capillary Action in Everyday Life
03:57 Personal Stories and Plant Enthusiasm
05:15 Chemistry Lessons: Water Polarity and Hydrogen Bonds
10:32 Water Transport in Plants: Xylem and Capillary Action
16:00 Transpiration and Water Loss in Plants
23:32 Curiosity About Soil and Water Content
24:23 Water Movement in Trees
26:53 Understanding Osmosis
28:37 Practical Applications of Osmosis
31:12 Capillary Action and Plant Water Transport
33:15 Fun Plant Stories and Experiments
41:11 Supporting the Show and Community
References from this episode:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0890856711009531
https://www.gao.gov/assets/hrd-82-3.pdf
https://pubmed-ncbi-nlm-nih-gov.libproxy.library.unt.edu/23026007/
https://www.fda.gov/food/hfp-constituent-updates/fda-revoke-authorization-use-red-no-3-food-and-ingested-drugs
https://cen.acs.org/food/food-ingredients/FDA-bans-red3-food-drugs/103/web/2025/01
https://www.acs.org/education/chemmatters/past-issues/2015-2016/october-2015/articial-dyes.html
https://cen.acs.org/food/food-ingredients/Editorial-Fewer-risky-food-colors/102/i26
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10502305/
Thanks to our monthly supporters
Vince W
Julie S.
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Autoclave
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Ciara L
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Jeannette N
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Erica B
Elizabeth P
Sarah M
Rachel R
Letila
Katrina B
Suzanne P
Venus R
Lyn S
Jacob T
Brian K
Emerson W
Kristina G
Timothy P
Steven B
Chris and Claire S
Chelsea B
Avishai B
Hunter R
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
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44:46
What is the future of antihistamines?
#098 Rebroadcast
Original Air Date: June 3, 2021
Could histamine and antihistamines do more than just affect our allergies? Actually yes. Today we discuss new and recent research in the world of histamine, and believe us, there's some really cool stuff.
References from this episode
https://cen.acs.org/articles/91/web/2013/06/Tracking-Histamine-Levels-Glowing-Nanosensors.html
https://cen.acs.org/articles/92/web/2014/12/Chemical-Cocktail-Lures-Bedbugs-Coaxes.html
https://cen.acs.org/pharmaceuticals/antibiotics/Common-allergy-drug-makes-resistant/97/i24
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.jafc.8b05515
https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/molecule-of-the-week/archive/h/histamines.html
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/jacs.9b03300
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Venus Rebholz
Lyn Stubblefield
Jacob Taber
Brian Kimball
Emerson Woodhall
Kristina Gotfredsen
Timothy Parker
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A podcast that helps you understand the fascinating chemistry hidden in your everyday life.
Have you ever wondered why onions make you cry? Or how soap gets your hands clean? What really is margarine, or why do trees change colors in the fall? Melissa is a chemist, and to answer these questions she started a podcast, called Chemistry for your life!
In each episode Melissa explains the chemistry behind one of life’s mysteries to Jam, who is definitely not a chemist, but she explains it in a way that is easy to understand, and totally fascinating.
If you’re someone who loves learning new things, or who wonders about the way the world works, then give us a listen.