Chemistry For Your Life

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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#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:

1. https://www.acs.org/pressroom/reactions/library/how-do-pregnancy-tests-work.html


2. https://www.compoundchem.com/2018/11/09/pregnancy-tests/


3. 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


4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK555922/


5. 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.

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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:

1. https://www.rsc.org/news-events/community/2017/jan/new-elements/

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#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.

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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:

1. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0890856711009531


2. https://www.gao.gov/assets/hrd-82-3.pdf


3. https://pubmed-ncbi-nlm-nih-gov.libproxy.library.unt.edu/23026007/


4. https://www.fda.gov/food/hfp-constituent-updates/fda-revoke-authorization-use-red-no-3-food-and-ingested-drugs


5. https://cen.acs.org/food/food-ingredients/FDA-bans-red3-food-drugs/103/web/2025/01


6. https://www.acs.org/education/chemmatters/past-issues/2015-2016/october-2015/articial-dyes.html


7. https://cen.acs.org/food/food-ingredients/Editorial-Fewer-risky-food-colors/102/i26


8. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10502305/

Thanks to our monthly supporters

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• Erica B


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• Sarah M


• Rachel R


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• Lyn S


• Jacob T


• Brian K


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#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

1. https://cen.acs.org/articles/91/web/2013/06/Tracking-Histamine-Levels-Glowing-Nanosensors.html


2. https://cen.acs.org/articles/92/web/2014/12/Chemical-Cocktail-Lures-Bedbugs-Coaxes.html


3. https://cen.acs.org/pharmaceuticals/antibiotics/Common-allergy-drug-makes-resistant/97/i24


4. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.jafc.8b05515


5. https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/molecule-of-the-week/archive/h/histamines.html


6. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/jacs.9b03300

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