Trivia

Front 1

Who was the brother of prometheus?

Back 1

It was Atlas.

Front 2

In what year did the Wright brothers make their famous flight?

Back 2

1903. They were inspired by Otto Lillienthal, a Prussian. he was the first person to fly before the Wright brothers.
He made many glider flights before falling to his death in 1896.

Front 3

How many limbs do octopuses have?

Back 3

Eight. They are cephalopods. They technically have 2 legs and 6 arms.

Front 4

Where is most of the octopuses nervous system located?

Back 4

In its extremities. Each arm has 2 rows of suckers, equipped with taste buds for identifying food.

Front 5

What is a hectocotylus?

Back 5

Male octopuses have an arm where they keep their sperm. It is used for mating.
Hectocotylus means "a hundred tiny cups".
A certain virus will cause an octopus to eat one of its own arms.

Front 6

Real oranges are a hybrid fruit. True/False

Back 6

True. In the wild they are unknown. They are a cross between a tangerine a pomelo.

Front 7

Are oranges always orange in color?

Back 7

No.It depends on where it is grown. In temperate climes, its green skin turns orange, when the weather cools. Where it is always hot, the chlorophyll is not destroyed, and it stays green.

Front 8

Are oranges ever artificially oranged for sale?

Back 8

Yes. They are blasted with ethylene gas, a by product of the oil industry.
Ethylene is the most widely produced organic compound in the world.

Front 9

Does ethylene have an odor?

Back 9

It is odorless, tasteless and fairly harmless. many fruits and vegetables give it off naturally after picking.
Ethylene producers are apples, melons, tomatoes, avocados and bananas.
Certain fruits, ex, apples and oranges should be separated from, lemons or carrots.

Front 10

If you want to speed up the ripening process of an unripe mango, keep it in a bag with a banana. True/False

Back 10

True.

Front 11

What is the name of the most southerly point in Africa?

Back 11

It is Cape Agulhas, app. 150km south of Good Hope.
The cape of Good Hope was discovered by Bartolomeu Dias, a Portugese navigator.
Agulhas is the official dividing point between the Atlantic and Indian oceans.

Front 12

What is the hardest substance?

Back 12

It is not diamonds. It is called hyperdiamond or aggregated diamond nanorods.
The team that created this used buckminsterfullerene or bucky balls.

Front 13

What is stiffness?

Back 13

It is a measure of compressibility. The force necessary to make the material shrink in volume.
Its basic unit is the Pascal.
A diamond is about 442 gigapascals (GPa)
A diamond is on the Mohs scale measured at MH10.
Talc is MH1.

Front 14

What is the chemical name for water?

Back 14

Hydrogen oxide. Only O2 and H2 together make a liquid.

Front 15

Most substances shrink as they cool. true/False

Back 15

True. When water falls below 39.2 F it expands and becomes lighter.

Front 16

It takes ten times more energy to heat iron than water. True/False

Back 16

True.

Front 17

At what temperature does water freeze?

Back 17

Pure water does not freeze at 32F, nor does seawater. For it to freeze, it requires something for its molecules to latch onto. Ice crystals form around nuclei like small particles of dust.

Front 18

What is Supercooling?

Back 18

This is the cooling of water without freezing it.
Put a bottle of very pre water in the freezer and supercool it. When you take the bottle out and tap it, the water turns instantly turns to ice.

Front 19

Why does the blood of Antarctic icefish not freeze in polar waters?

Back 19

These fish and herring produce proteins in the pancreas that are absorbed into the blood. These proteins prevent the formation of ice nuclei.

Front 20

Hot water freezes faster than cold water. True/false

Back 20

True.

Front 21

Saturn's moon, Titan, is the only moon in the soalr system with an atmosphere. True/false

Back 21

True. Its frozen lakes are frozen methane and ethane.
titan was discovered by Christiaan Huygans in the 1600s.
He explained centrifugal force, and built the first pendulum clock.
Domenico Cassini discovered 4 of Saturn's moons.

Front 22

Where is the world's saltiest water?

Back 22

It is not the dead sea. It is lake Don Juan Pond in northeastern Antarctica. It is twice as salty as the dead sea.

Front 23

Is there life in the dead sea?

Back 23

There are no fish, but there are many species of algae. Some bacteria known as Halotropic bacteria exist there as well. They are of the Archaea domain.

Front 24

Why are Halobacterium known as Renaissance bugs?

Back 24

They can mend their own DNA, which is usually damaged by the high salt concentrations.

Front 25

About how many minerals exist in the world today?

Back 25

There are about 4300 minerals.

Front 26

Which came first, the chicken or the egg?

Back 26

It is believed that birds evolved from reptiles, so the first bird must have come out of an egg, laid by a reptile.

Front 27

What is the function of albumen in the egg?

Back 27

Its main purpose is to protect the yolk which is held in place in the center by two twisted threads called chalazae. Chalaza is greek for hailstone.
Eggs can be made in about 24 hours.

Front 28

Why do rotten eggs float?

Back 28

The shell is porous, if an egg is kept for a long time, the yolk and albumen dry out sucking the air inside.

Front 29

Do hens have earlobes/

Back 29

yes. hens with white earlobes lay white eggs, and those with red earlobes lay brown eggs.

Front 30

How much bigger is a human ovum than a human sperm?

Back 30

The ovum is about 20X bigger.
The ovum is about 12 times bigger than the average cell.
The ovum is about the size of a period at the end of a sentence.

Front 31

Do sharks have a good sense of smell/

Back 31

Yes. They can detect blood at a concentration of one part in 25 million

Front 32

What are the ampullae of Lorenzini in Shark heads.

Back 32

Shark heads have many jelly filled canals (ampullae of Lorenzini) Their purpose is to register the faint electrical fields generated by all living bodies.

Front 33

When are tidal effects at their strongest?

Back 33

When the sun and the moon are on the same side of the earth (new moon), or on the opposite side (full moon).
Their gravitational pulls combine to create the strong Spring tides Spring forward as in energy, not in the season.

Front 34

Which birds actually inspired Darwin's theory of evolution?

Back 34

It is actually the Mockingbird, not the finch.

Front 35

Define species.

Back 35

The species of an animal or any other living creature, is defined as that group with which it can reproduce.
Its genus is analogous to its tribe.
A group of species that are clearly related to one another.

Front 36

What is a Tautonym?

Back 36

Tautos from greek means the same. When an animals genus and its species are the same. The bogue fish is Boops boops and Mops mops is a freetailed bat.
Tautonyms are common for animals but not found in plant terminology.

Front 37

Any rat observed in the UK and the US is almost certain to be what kind of rat?

Back 37

The Brown or Norway rat. (Rattus norvegicus).

Front 38

Does a rat's tail have a specific function?

Back 38

It is a device for regulating tremperture. It is not covered in hair.

Front 39

Fungi are biologically closer to animals than they are to plants. True/false

Back 39

True.

Front 40

Which animal dreams the most?

Back 40

It is the duck billed pltypus. It is known to have the longest REM sleep.

Front 41

How is REM sleep different from normal sleep?

Back 41

In REM sleep, the brain is racing but the body is paralyzed. Animals most at risk from predators dream the least.
Dolphins rest while afloat. They dont sleep in the regular sense. One half of their brain and body goes to sleep at a time, while the other half is fully awake, including one of their eyes.

Front 42

Can elephants get typsy/

Back 42

Yes. They can detect the smell of ethanol up to ten miles away.

Front 43

What is the worlds most aggressive animal?

Back 43

It is the honey badger.

Front 44

What is Limulus polyphemus?

Back 44

It is the American horseshoe crab.
An extract of its blood is LAL or Limulus amebocyte lysate is used to tesat drugs, vaccines and medical devices like artificial kidneys to ensure that they are free of microbes.
A quart of seawater can have up to a thousand billion bacteria.

Front 45

Do Horseshoe crabs have an immune system?

Back 45

No. They cannot mount an immunological response. Their blood instead contains an ingredient that disables invasive bacteria and viruses by clotting aroun d them and it is this that is used to make LAL.

Front 46

Does Horseshoe crab blood have hemoglobin?

Back 46

No. IUt has Hemocyanin which uses copper. their blood is blue. It sells for $15,000 a quart.Are

Front 47

Are Horseshoe crabs really crabs?

Back 47

No. They are more closely related to ticks, scorpions and spiders. It is estimated they have remained unchanged for over 400 million years.
They have 10 eyes.

Front 48

What causes the sting of a jellyfish?

Back 48

It comes from special cells called cnidocytes (stinging needle). On the outside of each cell is a tiny hair called a cnidocil. Touching this hair trigger explodes the cells miniscule toxic harpoon into your skin i n 700 billionths of a second.

Front 49

What is the best way to treat a suspected jelly fish assault?

Back 49

Brush off any loose tentacles with a towel and splash the sting with salt water to wash away any unfired cells. fresh water does not work as well.

Front 50

is acetic acid ever used for jelly fish stings?

Back 50

Yes. Many Australian beaches have supplies of vinegar. It can work however, you need to know the species of jelly fish that stung you. Some have acid stings and some have alkaline stings.
It is a temporary remedy for the deadly Australian box jellyfish, but can exacerbate the effectsmof a sting from a Portughese man o war.

Front 51

What is Belonephobia?

Back 51

It is the fear of pins and needles.

Front 52

When you bang your funny bone, what causes the sensation?

Back 52

The ulnar nerve. It jams up against the humerus.
Banging it produces dysesthesia (unpleasant sensation) as opposed to paresthesia (unusual sensation)

Front 53

Can bleaching giardia kill them?

Back 53

No. Sodium hypochlorite is ineffective in killing the waterborne intestinal parasites ans cryptosporidiosis.

Front 54

What is the name of the follicular mite that lives on humans?

Back 54

Demodexfollicularum live exclusively on human beings.

Front 55

What is Acrophobia?

Back 55

It is the fear of height.

Front 56

How can one tell how high up one is on a mountain?

Back 56

Make some tea. water boils when the pressure of the steam trying to escape from it exceeds the pressure of the air above it.
Air pressure decreases with altitude. For every 1,000 feet or 300 meters gained in height, the boiling point of water is reduced by 1C 0r 1.8F.
This is called hypsometry.

Front 57

The bones of human noses contain traces of magnetite, which may suggest what?

Back 57

It suggests we may once also have had magnetoception, but have forgotten how to use it.

Front 58

A severed head has less than 5 seconds of consciousness left. True/False

Back 58

True.

Front 59

Archimedes discovered that you could measure the volume of regular objects by doing what?

Back 59

By seeing how much water they displaced.
Eureka is greek for I found it.

Front 60

There is a bone that links a snakes lower jaw to its upper. What is this bone?

Back 60

It is the quadrate bone. because it attaches at all four points.
Humans actually have this bone, but it is no longer attached to the jaw. It has migrated up to the ear and is now the incus bone or anvil bone.

Front 61

Only about 20% of a snakes body is its tail. True/False

Back 61

True. The word vertebra is Latin for joint.
Humans have 33 vertebrae.

Front 62

Stored inside a male snakes tail are his two penises (hemipenes) True/False

Back 62

True.

Front 63

Why do all gold coins contain some copper?

Back 63

To make them more durable.
Though gold is relatively soft, it is almost twice as dense as lead.

Front 64

Did Sir Isaac Newton have dealings with counterfeitingngangs in his time?

Back 64

Yes. In fact, he was made warden of the royal mint in 1696.

Front 65

Was it Molotov who invented the Molotoc cocktails?

Back 65

No. They were named after him.
Molotov real name was Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Skriabin.
Molotov means hammer in Russian.

Front 66

Was Molotov a soldier?

Back 66

No. He was a bureaucrat. The Finnish war resulted from the Molotov-Ribbontrop pact that he signed with the Nazis in 1939.
Molotov was the last survivng Bolshevik, a unrepentant Stalinist.

Front 67

What is the name of a staircase that goes around and around?

Back 67

A Helical staircase.
A spiral staircase is a 2 dimensional curve that radiates out from a fixed central point. It resembles a snails shell.

Front 68

What is a meteorite?

Back 68

It is an object that has fallen to earth from space.
Meteors, are objects passing through the earth's atmosphere.

Front 69

What are musk oxen?

Back 69

Musk oxen are large shaggy members of the goat family. males secrete an odorous substance from glands located under their eyes when aroused.
They are believed to be related to the wooly mammoth.

Front 70

What is Hypothermia?

Back 70

It is a point at which oiur internal temperature drops below 95 F. The body's key metabolic activities strat to slow down.

Front 71

Is there any land that doesn't belong to any country?

Back 71

Marie Byrd land in western Antarctica, which is so remote that no country wants it.

Front 72

What does Terra nullius mean?

Back 72

It is a legal term for a territory outside the sovereign control of any country.

Front 73

Most of the Nile river is in Sudan. True/false

Back 73

True. It rises in Rwanda in the Great Lakes area of central Africa, and flows through Ethiopia, Uganda, Republic of Congo and Egypt. the largest part traverses Sudan.

Front 74

Which is the largest country in Africa?

Back 74

Sudan. It has a square mileage of 967,500 miles.
Sudan means black in arabic.
It comes from bilad as-sudan, land of black people.

Front 75

Where does the term Nubian come from?

Back 75

The name Nubia comes from the Egyptian, nbu, which means gold as the region was famous for its gold mines.

Front 76

Where does the term baccalaureate come from?

Back 76

The laurel wreath, as worn by Caesar, indicated victory. It had a reputation as a healing plant, so graduating doctors also received a laurel wreath. This is the origin of the academic expressions baccalaureate (Bachelor of Arts, BA or BSc) They all come from the latin bacca lauri, laurel berries.

Front 77

How many men did a centurion command in the Roman empire/

Back 77

Eighty.
A contubernium was the smallest division of the Roaman army, which was originally a unit of 10 men who lived, ate, and fought together (taberna-hut).
There were ten of thhem in each tent, because the man in chargenwas called a Decanus, chief of ten.

Front 78

What language was mostly spoken in Rome?

Back 78

It was likely Greek.
A lingua franca is a language used between two people when neither is using their mother tongue.
It means language of the franks. Arabs referred to Christians as franks, much like Muslims were referred to as Moors. Franji is a common arabic word that refers to westerners.

Front 79

The Vatican is the only country in the world thsat has Latin as an official language. True/False

Back 79

True.

Front 80

A pair of dice have how many dots?

Back 80

Forty two.

Front 81

During the days of Mussolini, the trains were already running fairly well and on time. True/False

Back 81

True.The credit for this belongs to Cavaliere Carlo Crova, general manager of the Itaian railway system. Hos work coincided with Mussolini's rise to power.

Front 82

Which revolution ended the first world war?

Back 82

The german revolution of November 1918. Its much less known than the Russian revolution of 1917.

Front 83

Which country suffered the second highest losses in the second world war?

Back 83

The worst were in the USSR.
The second worst were in China.

Front 84

How many men have held the office of the president of the US?

Back 84

Forty three, not forty four. Obama is the 43rd person to become president.
Grover Cleveland was both the 22nd and 24th president of the US.
He died in 1908.

Front 85

What is the 22nd amendment?

Back 85

It was passed in 1951 and said that presidents may only serve a maximum of two terms.

Front 86

Are bats blind?

Back 86

They are not really blind. They do not use echolocation or sonar.
Megabats or fruitbats do not use it either.

Front 87

What is Desmodus rotundus?

Back 87

It is the vampire bat. it feeds on the blood of mammals.

Front 88

Are bats consumed as food anywhere in the world?

Back 88

The Chamorro people of Guam like to boil giant fruit bats or flying foxes in coconut milk and eat them whole.
As a result, many suffer from a rare neurological condition called ALS-Parkinson dementia complex.

Front 89

What do these fruit bats feed on?

Back 89

They feed on poisonous cycad plants whose dangerous neurotoxins are passed on to those who consume them.

Front 90

Is there an animal that only eats bamboo?

Back 90

The bamboo mite.

Front 91

Where does the word Neanderthal come from?

Back 91

The first fossilized remains of humanity's cousins were found in 1856 near Dusseldorf in the Neander river valley (Neanderthal) Thal is german for valley.
Analysis shows that they had exactly the same language gene (FOXP2) that humans do.

Front 92

The earliest known glass artifacts are Egyptian. True/False

Back 92

True. It was however, the Romans who first produced transparant glass.

Front 93

What does narke mean?

Back 93

It is a root of the word, narcotic. It means torpor or numbness from the Greek.

Front 94

Afghanistan still supplies 90% of the world's opium. True/False

Back 94

True.

Front 95

Brain damage begins app. four minutes after bloodflow has stopped. True/False

Back 95

True.

Front 96

No matter what size a mammal is, it has the same number of average heartbeats in a lifetime, about 500 million. True/False

Back 96

True. Applies to all except humans.
The Etruscan shrew has a heartbeat of about 835 beats per minute, It lives for a year.

Front 97

What actually comes out of a cocoon?

Back 97

Not butterflies. Moths do and so do fleas, beas, worms and spiders.

Front 98

Are silkworms really worms?

Back 98

No. they are actually caterpillars. At about 1 month, they spend three days winding a mile long thread of their saliva around their bodies that dries into a casingmfor safety.

Front 99

Do butterflies make cocoons?

Back 99

No. They form crysalises (golden sheath). It is an external structure designed to protect the creature within, whereas the chysalis is the creature. It is the final skin of the caterpillar before becoming a butterfly.

Front 100

What do Mongolians live in?

Back 100

They live in a ger. A yurt is a Turkish word that means homeland. Ger means home in Mongolian.

Front 101

Where did the HUns come from?

Back 101

They arrived in Europe from central Asia in the 4th century. They built an empire that spanned from central Asia to what is Germany today.
Attila the Hun died from a nosebleed.

Front 102

What is Vicarious menstruation?

Back 102

A nosebleed. High levels of estrogen during a womans period can lead to increased blood pressure causing a nasal bleed.

Front 103

What is Lexical gustatory synesthesia?

Back 103

It is a rare condition whereby taste and language are confused in the brain, so that each word has a specific taste.

Front 104

If you X ray a joint after it has been cracked, the bubbles of CO2 are clearly visible. True/False

Back 104

True. The joint cannot be cracked again until they have been dissolved back into the fluid.

Front 105

Do Rhinos have horns?

Back 105

Not really. Animals with pointed projections that aren't horns include rhinos, their horns are made of keratin but lack a bony core.
Deer antlers are made of bone but covered with a velvety skin, not keratin, and they drop off and are regrown each year.

Front 106

Giraffes have ossicones. True/False

Back 106

True. (big bones). They are covered with furry skin, but not keratin.
Elephants, pigs, walruses and narwhals have tusks, these are overgrown teeth, made of ivory.

Front 107

What is keratin?

Back 107

In its softer alpha form, it ensures our skin is flexible and waterproof.
In its beta form, it makes the shells and scales of reptiles, and the feathers and beaks of birds.

Front 108

What does yak milk contain?

Back 108

The females are known as dri or nak.
Their milk has twice the fat of regular cows milk. It is not pink, on the rare occasions it is drunk, blood id sometimes added for flavor.

Front 109

Yak RBCs are half the size and three times as numerous as those of ordinary cattle. True/False

Back 109

True.

Front 110

There is enough vitamin A in just 3 and one half ounces (100grams) of husky liver to kill a grown man. True/False

Back 110

True.

Front 111

When does Advent Sunday begin?

Back 111

It begins on the 4th Sunday before Christmas.

Front 112

How many days are there in Lent?

Back 112

44-46. It runs from midday on Ash Wednesday to midnight on Holy Saturday, the day before Easter Sunday. For catholics it ends two days earler.
It commemorates the 40 days that Jesus, and before hom, Moses spent fasting and praying in the wilderness. Sundays dont count, because one should not fast on a Sunday.

Front 113

What does Auld lang Syne mean?

Back 113

It means for old times sake.

Front 114

What is a Duchenne smile?

Back 114

It is a genuine smile.
A fake smile is a Pan Am smile.

Front 115

can the consumption of cheese before sleep, help with insomnia?

Back 115

Yes. It has high levels of the serotonin producing amino acid, tryptophan.

Front 116

Who coined the term horsepower?

Back 116

James Watt.He did this in 1783 as a way of determining the royalties he was due on his steam engine.
One horsepower is defined as the power needed to lift 33,000 pounds one foot over a period of one minute.
Humans are capable of about .1 hp.

Front 117

Phosphoric acid inhibits digestive acids in the stomach, reducing the absorption of calcium. True/False

Back 117

True.

Front 118

Can a person suffocate if covered from head to toe in gold paint?

Back 118

Not likely. We do not breath through our skin. Such a condition could cause a person to die from overheating, since the blocked pores would be unable to sweat.
Human skin has about 2 million pores.
In a lifetime a typical human may replace his skin 900 times.
The Australian marsupial mouse does breath through its skin.

Front 119

Do microwave ovens actually cook food?

Back 119

No. They heat water. The microwaves excite water molecules. The heated water cooks the food.

Front 120

Who invented the microwave?

Back 120

Percy Spencer in 1945. He was building a magnetron, it converts electricity to microwaves.

Front 121

The Lusitania was sunk in 1915. True/False

Back 121

True. The US didn't enter the 1st WW until 1917.

Front 122

What was Black Sunday?

Back 122

This was Oct. 24, 1929, when 14 billion dollars were wiped off the value of shares in a single day.

Front 123

Who was the first American to be buried in Britain?

Back 123

Pocohantas, in 1617. She also married an Englishman, and the first native American to be baptized a Christian.

Front 124

Oily fish is rich in which 2 omega 3 fatty acids?

Back 124

Eicosapentanoic acid
Docosahexanoic acid

Front 125

At a depth of 33 feet the air pressure is twice that of atmospheric pressure on land. True/False

Back 125

True.

Front 126

Are whales immune to the "bends"?

Back 126

Effectively yes.They have weak and flexible rib cages. While diving, the thoracic cavity collapses so little to no air will be able to get in. However, even when collapsed, there is still sufficient air with high N2 levels present in the alveolar sacs. Nitrogen is no longer at the site of gas exchange and cannot be absorbed into the body. It will not escape into the bloodstream upon ascent.

Front 127

Where do bird feathers get their feather colors from?

Back 127

Most of these plume colors found in birds come from pigments obtained from the food they eat.
The nano structures of the feathers can also produce an optical illusion.

Front 128

Why is chlorophyll green?

Back 128

The arrangement of the atoms in chlorophyll means that it can absorb every color from the sun except green, which it reflects.

Front 129

Why is the sky blue?

Back 129

The sky is blue because of the way which the light interacts with gases in the atmosphere. Light from the sun is made up of many different colors, and these all travel as waves and each individual color has an associated wavelength. The shorter wavelength blue light is scattered in all directions whereas other colors are much less scattered.
This is called Rayleigh scattering.

Front 130

What are the names of some of the deadly varieties of Mushrooms?

Back 130

Death cap
Destroying angel
Galerina species
Lepiota species
Deadly webcap.
many poisonous mushrooms must be observed in their stages of development in order to be identified.

Front 131

What substance do skunks secrete that is typical with the odor?

Back 131

They spray thiols which is comprised of sulphorous compounds.
Skunk spray tends to glow in the dark.

Front 132

Can one determine how far away lightening struck?

Back 132

Yes. Distance= Speed X Time.
Speed of lightening is about 300,000,000 meters per second. It is seen instantly.
Sound travels through air at about 340 meters per second, depending on temperature and humidity.
One can measure the time between seeing the lightening and hearing the thunder, then multiplying by the speed of sound. If you count ten seconds before hearing the thunder, the lightening struck about 3,400 meters away.

Front 133

Why can fleas jump so high?

Back 133

This is due to a combination of strong leg muscles and pads of a rubber like protein called Resilin, which is situated above the hind legs of the flea. When the flea is about to jump, it crouches and squeezes the resilin. The resilin can store much energy and release it suddenly in one go. It can jump 30-40 cm in length and about 20cm high.

Front 134

What is Angular momentum?

Back 134

It is a product of the rate at which an object spins and the distance of its mass from its axis, and the conservation of angular momentum says that it must remain the same at all time.

Front 135

Do ants have lungs?

Back 135

No. Like almost all insects, they do not possess lungs. They breathe through tiny holes in their sides. These are called spiracles. They have one pair per segment.

Front 136

What are Starfish?

Back 136

They are considered Echinoderms, along with sea urchins and sea cucumbers. The skin is made up of many tiny skeletal plates and spines made of calcium carbonate minerals such as calcite and aragonite.

Front 137

Starfish have a hydrostatic skeleton. What does this mean?

Back 137

The body movement and rigidity is controlled employing water pressure and not bones.
The body has 5 arms that emanate from a central disk. The mouth is found on the underside in the center.
When feeding, they externalize their stomachs and digest their prey. The stomach is then withdrawn into the body.

Front 138

Why do leaves turn red in Autumn?

Back 138

Chlorophyll is a dominant green pigment that masks the rest of the color pigments found in leaves. These include the carotenoids which give the orange and yellow colors.

Front 139

What is responsible for the color of strawberries and cranberries?

Back 139

Anthocyanins.
In the Autumn, the veins of a leaf that are used to transport liquid begin to close down and chlorophyll production decreases.

Front 140

What exactly is St. Elmo's fire?

Back 140

It is a more or less continuous, luminous electrical discharge in the atmosphere which comes from elevated objects above the earth's surface. These can be lightening conductors, wind vanes or even propellers from aircraft.

Front 141

How do chameleons change color?

Back 141

Most can change color by the expansion or contraction of cells in their skin that contain different pigments.

Front 142

Why do Owls see so well in the dark?

Back 142

Their eyes are packed tightly with light receptors (rods). This permits refined vision in areas with minimal light.
They also have forward facing eyes, giving them exceptional binocular vision. They can focus on a smaller area, and gives them the ability to judge distances with accuracy.

Front 143

What is El. Nino?

Back 143

It is an aoceanic component of the El Nino southern oscillation. It is a climate pattern that occurs naturally across the tropical pacific every 2-7 years.

Front 144

What are Monotreme mammals?

Back 144

Monotreme means one hole. They possess a multipurpose hole through which they defecate, urinate and reproduce, like snakes and birds.
An example would be the Platypus and 4 types of Echidnas (spiny anteaters)

Front 145

Which plants are very toxic?

Back 145

The water Hemlock root would likely kill a human if absorbed in sufficient quantity.
The family, Solanaceae has belladonna, which is deadly.
The castor oil plant is known to be the deadliest plant, Ricin is made from castor oil.
Amanatin is found in some mushrooms (death cap). Death is caused by liver failure.

Front 146

What is the difference between rain and drizzle?

Back 146

Rain is water falling from the sky that is larger than 0.5mm in diameter. Anything smaller is considered drizzle.

Front 147

Butteerflies belong to what biological order?

Back 147

They belong o the Lepidoptera.
They have 4 wings. Two forewings and two hindwings.
if a buttrfly is sitting with its wings open it means that it is absorbing sunlight to raise its body temperature.
If a butterfly looks pale, it could mean that it is approaching the end of its life.

Front 148

How does an Owl turn its head 270 degrees?

Back 148

It has 14 vertebra. It has more flexibility.

Front 149

Can one determine if a coconut has gone bad or moldy/

Back 149

Yes. if you shake it, and can't hear any liquid sloshing around inside, the cocnut milk has likely gone bad. However, some very fresh cocnuts,(light brown) have so much water, that it cannot displace itself.

Front 150

Are humans often exposed to radiation?

Back 150

Yes. There are on average about 15,000 radioactive particles traveling through the body every second.
It is believed that about 1-2 percent of fatal cancers are caused by the 30 trillion radioactive particles passing through the body in a lifetime.

Front 151

Can ionizing radiation affect electrons?

Back 151

This radiation has the ability to detach electrons from their associated atoms, causing the atom to become positively charged. These are called radicals and are highly reactive and unstable.

Front 152

If one has bitten off too much capsaicin, can water help dilute the effects of the burning?

Back 152

No. It may in fact, worsen it. Cold milk has casein which is known to successfully detach the capsaicin from the nerve receptors.

Front 153

How much energy does the brain produce?

Back 153

It requires a relatively low power to function. It would be around 20 watts which is sufficient to power a weak light bulb.
20 watts corresponds to 20 joules of energy per second.

Front 154

Does water follow the normal laws of density?

Back 154

No. When you heat something up, it takes up more space and becomes less dense. Most materials are densest when they are a solid.
Ice is solid compared to water, yet ice floats, which means it is less dense than water.

Front 155

When is water at its densest state?

Back 155

This is around 4 C The water molecules are closest together.

Front 156

What creates the holes in Swiss cheese?

Back 156

There are a variety of bacteria used for Swiss cheese production.
Propionibacterium shermani is used for the holing process. Once heated, it reacts forming bubbles of CO2, which become the holes in the cheese. These holes are called eyes.

Front 157

How does a home pregnancy test work?

Back 157

They detect a hormone called hCG, (Human Chorionic Gonadotrophin) in the urine. It is only produced by pregnant women. hCG functions to signal the ovaries to produce estrogen and progesterone to maintain the ueterus for fetal growth.
hCG can be detected as early as 9-10 days after ovulation.

Front 158

How is the hCG detected?

Back 158

It is achieved with human made proteins called monoclonal antibodies. They bond with the hCG upon detection which creates a specific color change in the test.

Front 159

Why is salt sometimes used to melt ice?

Back 159

Salt will lower the melting point of ice.
Basically, water is made from water in its purest form. Anything that gets into the water medium, such as sodium, it makes it harder for the water to bond as ice.
Interestingly, the salt can only lower the melting point of water up to around -16 degrees. if the temperature is below this point than the salt is ineffective.

Front 160

Why is snow white?

Back 160

Snow is composed of ice crystals, packed together. These crystals are translucent. When light falls on snow it is composed of a mixture of different frequencies which all refract mildly differently as they enter the crystals. The light leaves the surface of the snow in all directions and hits our eyes. The light is composed of a number of different frequencies which our eyes detect as white light.

Front 161

How do the white clouds behind flying jets form?

Back 161

These are called contrails. Jet fuel is made of Carbon and hydrogen which burns in the presence of O2. Some of the carbon joins with the O2 to make CO2, and some of the H2 joins with O2 to form water.
What comes out of the engine is invisible water vapor, but as soon as it is exposed to the colder temperatures, it condenses into tiny drops of liquid water which become suspended in the air.

Front 162

What is electrical current?

Back 162

Current is a measurement of how much charge is moving through a particular point in a unit of time.

Front 163

What is an amp?

Back 163

One amp is the current generated when 6.242 X 10-18 power electrons pass a certain point per second.

Front 164

What are Watts?

Back 164

These are a measurement of electrical power. It s symbol is W and 1 watt = 1 joule per second.
A 60 watt light bulb converts 60 joules of electrical energy to heat and light energy every second.

Front 165

What is a volt?

Back 165

Voltage is a measurement of electrical potential energy per unit charge, and 1 volt is = to 1 joule per coulomb (unit of charge)

Front 166

What are ohms?

Back 166

When current flows, it experiences resistance. This resistance is measured in ohms.
Ex. Copper has a low resistance and conducts electricity very well.

Front 167

How does CO form?

Back 167

It is formed when there is insufficient O2 present when carbon base fuels such as and oil are burned (incomplete combustion).

Front 168

What is silica gel?

Back 168

It is a highly form of silica which is processed into grain or beads. It is a desiccant or drying agent. It is hygroscopic, which means that it can remove water from it s immediate environment.

Front 169

What is dry ice?

Back 169

It is solid CO2. It is much colder than water ice.
CO2 sublimes (directly from a solid to a gas) at around 78C. When there is a vaporous cloud coming off of it, one is seeing water vapor, not CO2 vapor, because CO2 gas is invisible.

Front 170

Why is recommended not to put metal in a microwave?

Back 170

Microwaves are electromagnetic waves and as such create electric currents in metals. Many of the microwaves are reflected by the metal and can reflect back onto the magnetron, the unit that produces the microwaves. The magnetron can overheat and become damaged.

Front 171

What actually happens when microwaves hit metal surfaces?

Back 171

When this happens, free electrons in the metal start to displace and move around and the movement of this charge is what creates an electric current. Some of these electrons move too much and can jump from the metal to the air which becomes ionized (charged). This can result in arcing where a spark is emitted.

Front 172

Why do apples turn brown?

Back 172

Apples , like many other fruits contain tyrosinase, an enzyme as well as iron containing phenols.
When the apple is cut open, the phenols react with the O2 in the air from oxidation. Tyrosinase speeds up the reaction. This is called enzyme browning.

Front 173

Can enzymic browning in the apple be slowed down?

Back 173

Yes. This is achieved with lemon juice, which lowers the pH and halts the enzyme from working.

Front 174

How do sensitive toothpastes work?

Back 174

They can work by either numbing tooth sensitivity or by blocking the tubules in the dentine. Those that numb contain potassium nitrate, which calms the tooth nerves.
Those that block dentine use strontium chloride. It builds a strong barrier, plugging the tubules leading to less sensitve teeth.

Front 175

What is the ingredient in fake tanning creams?

Back 175

The most effective lotions and sprays contain DHA (dihydroxyacetone). It is a non toxic colorless sugar. The DHA works by interacting with the proteins in the dead skin cells in the epidermis, This results in a pigment called melanoiden. The darker brown skin does not act as a sunblock.

Front 176

What exactly is negative g force?

Back 176

If one falls or accelerates downwards faster than the rate of natural free fall, one will experience negative g force. In such a state, the liquid within tissues (blood) moves slower than the solid parts of your body due to inertia of the blood.

Front 177

How is magnetism measured?

Back 177

Magnet strength is measured with a magnetometer or also called a Gaussmeter.
The international system unit for measuring magnetism is the Tesla which measures magnetic flux density.

Front 178

What is one Tesla equal to?

Back 178

One Tesla = 10,000 gauss. The earth's magnetic field is about one half gauss.
A fridge magnet is 100 gauss.
An electromagnet inside an MRI could be up to 1,500 gauss.

Front 179

The higher the percentage of alcohol in liquid, the lower the freezing point. True/False

Back 179

True. It would be difficult that one could freeze vodka, gin or whiskey in a normal freezer.

Front 180

Where is the ink placed in a tattoo?

Back 180

The majority of the ink is embedded in the upper layers of the dermis. This is because of the fibroblast cells and the formation of connective tissue.
The ink is located in the dermis at a depth of 1-3mm and we actually see the tattoo through the translucent epidermis.

Front 181

How is freeze drying applied?

Back 181

This is a process that is mainly used to preserve food. It removes water from the prepared substance to be preserved so that the microorganisms that cause spoilage cannot survive. The principle behind this is sublimation.

Front 182

When does sublimation occur?

Back 182

It occurs when a substance changes straight from a solid to a gas passing over the liquid phase altogether.

Front 183

How does hair dye work?

Back 183

hair fibers have 3 layers. The outer is the cuticle, the , the cortex and the inner is the medulla.
The cuticle is hard and is transparent. The cortex contains melanin, which gives hair its color.
Colored hair dyes only can penetrate the cuticle, so they don't change the color of your hair, they just color the outside, and then wash out.

Front 184

What is the main ingredient in superglue?

Back 184

Cyanoacrylate. It is an acrylic resin, that can harden and cure almost instantaneously. It does require some humidity. The humidity in the air is usually sufficient.

Front 185

What are fingernails made of?

Back 185

They are made of a protein called keratin (Kera, horn). Keratin also makes up the hooves and horns of animals,
Chitin is another protein that is similar to keratin. This is a component of exoskeletons, belonging to arthropods.

Front 186

What is the Lanula?

Back 186

It is the half moon shape image that one can see at the base of the fingers. It is barely visible on the pinky. These are cells that produce keratin. As these cells are pushed forward, they merge and die with the keratin to become keratinized.

Front 187

What is Kiesselbach's area?

Back 187

About 90% of epistaxses (nosebleeds) occur in this area. (Little's area) This is a region where 5 arteries join together.

Front 188

What are Liver spots?

Back 188

They are dark blemishes on the skin caused by ageing. They result from exposure to the sun. They are called lentigos. The dark pigment within them is termed lipofuscin.

Front 189

What is the closest galaxy to ours?

Back 189

The Andromeda. It is about 2 million light years away.

Front 190

When one views an object in space, the planet Jupiter for example, does one see it as it is or in the past?

Back 190

In the past. In fact it is seen app. 43 minutes ago or prior. It takes light about that time to travel from Jupiter to Earth.
Light travels at about 300 million meters per second.
Light from the moon takes about a second to reach earth.
Alpha Centauri, is about 4 light years away. It is a star.

Front 191

What do physicists mean when they say that a star is burning hydrogen?

Back 191

In the process, it is joining hydrogen atoms together to create helium and release energy.

Front 192

How do copper cables transfer data?

Back 192

Once the standard for phone lines, can transmit a few million electrical signals per second, while fiber can accommodate 20 billion light pulses per second.
Fiber optic cables as long tubes with mirrored walls. If you shine a laser pointer into the tube at a slight angle, the laser beam would bounce its way down the tube, reflecting off the mirrored walls until the end was reached. The walls today are made of silica glass called the core or cladding.

Front 193

What are Pixels?

Back 193

This term is short for picture element. Images on these devices divide the screen into thousands or millions of pixels arranged in rows or columns.

Front 194

How does an airplane measure sped?

Back 194

On the aircraft there is a tube called a pitot tube. The open end of this tube is usually mounted on a wing and faces toward the flow air. The airspeed indicator measures the difference between a static sensor inside the plane(out of the air stream) and a sensor(the pitot) in the air stream.

Front 195

What is a nautical mile based on?

Back 195

It is based on the circumference of the earth.
If one cuts the earth in half at the equator, pickup one of the halves and look at the equator as a circle. That circle is divided into 360 degrees. Then divide a degree into 60 minutes. A minute of arc on the planet Earth is one nautical mile. The arc of the earth is taken into account. A nautical mile is 1,852 meters or 1.15 miles or 6,076 feet.

Front 196

What is a Static diver submarine?

Back 196

These submarines use differences in weight to affect buoyancy . Dynamic diving submarines use speed and power to submerge.

Front 197

What is dichlorobenzene?

Back 197

It is a registered insecticide, used for moth elimination. It is also used in urinals.
It is a known animal carcinogen.

Front 198

What is Piperine?

Back 198

It is the compound that gives black pepper its flavor.

Front 199

Who was America's first millionaire?

Back 199

Elias Derby. He made his fortune by importing peppercorns and then used his money to endow Yale university.

Front 200

What is Acetone peroxide/

Back 200

It is an explosive. It was employed by the failed shoe bomber in 2001.
It is transparent , has no nitrogen, so it cannot be detected by equipment that tests for niotrogen based explosives. Known as the mother of satan.

Front 201

Can androstenone be found in body perspiration?

Back 201

Yes. It is also a pig pheramone.

Front 202

Who was Friederich Gaedeke?

Back 202

He was a German chemist, that discovered a compound in cocoa leaves that was eventually isolated and named cocaine by Albert Niemann.

Front 203

What are prince Rupert's drops?

Back 203

They are glass beads that form when molten glass is dripped into cold water.

Front 204

How is glass made?

Back 204

Glass is made by melting and then cooling sand which is silicon dioxide.

Front 205

What is Polymethyl methacrylate?

Back 205

It is Plexiglass. It was invented in the 1930s.

Front 206

What is Guarana?

Back 206

It is found in many energy drinks. It is a plant that has high quantities of caffeine.

Front 207

What is Brown Sequard syndrome?

Back 207

It is a damaged spinal cord that results in paralysis and loss of sensation to touch on the same side as the injury and loss of sensation to pain and temperature on the other side.

Front 208

Who was ZJoseph Black?

Back 208

He discovered CO2. It was called fixed air.
The residue left behind after the release of the fixed air was strongly alkaline when dissolved in water. The residue is magnesium oxide, which dissolves in water to becone MgOH.

Front 209

Which company was a prime producer of black powder?

Back 209

It was the Dupont company.It was made by the combination of sulphur, saltpetre and charcoal. The purest charcoal was made from willow wood, because it had a very low mineral level.

Front 210

What is the ancient twechnique of Cuppelation?

Back 210

It is based on the priciple that precious metals do not react with O2 as quickly as base metals such as lead. In silver extraction, heating converts the lead to lead oxide which is denser than silver and the precious metal is left floating on top.

Front 211

Mercury is mined in what form?

Back 211

It is mined in the form of mercury sulphide or cinnabar, and heating this ore to extract the mercury will result in the emission of toxic mercury vapors.

Front 212

In the case of beer, polypeptides from the malt are the most important surface active compounds. True/False

Back 212

True.The dissolved gas is CO2 which is formed by the action of brewers yeast on carbohydrates in the malt.

Front 213

What is titanium dioxide?

Back 213

It is a naturallt occurring pigment, used to give a white color to paints inks plastics paper and ceramics. When put into fine particles it exhibits photocatalysis. When exposed to light, especially U/V light it is capable as acting as a chemical catalyst.

Front 214

What do iodine, silver nitrate, ninhydrin, and cyanoacrylate have in common?

Back 214

They are used to detect latent fingerprints. It is sensitive to human perspiration.

Front 215

What is sublimation?

Back 215

It is the direct transformation of a solid to a vapor without going through a liquid phase.

Front 216

Can lead nitrate be used for invisible ink?

Back 216

Yes.

Front 217

What does phosphorous mean?

Back 217

It means bearer of light.

Front 218

What are the compounds found in skunk scent?

Back 218

E-2-butane-1-thiol and 3-methyl-1-butanethiol.

Front 219

Do cockroaches like light?

Back 219

They hate the light. They belong to the order of insects called Blatteria which means to shun the light.

Front 220

Is the South American dart frog very toxic?

Back 220

Yes/ Some have succumbed to its poison just by touching it. One one hundreth of a milligram of batrochotoxin is considered lethal.

Front 221

What is Epibatidine?

Back 221

From Epipedrobates tricolor. A frog from Ecuador produces epibatidine. It can however, block pain more efficiently than morphine. It is believed to be safer tham morphine.

Front 222

What is unique about the African crested rat?

Back 222

It is the only known mammelthat applies a poison to its fur to protect itself from becoming prey.
The poison is Ouabain. It is a compound related to cardenolides. These are plant steroids joined to sugar molecules to make up the cardiac glycosides, which is digitalis as one example.

Front 223

Where does the African crested rat get the poison from?

Back 223

It chews on the bark of a tree known as Acokanthera schimperi, a tree used by tribesman to tip poison arrows. It is strong enough to down an elephant. The rat mixes the chewed bark with its saliva and applies the mixture to its coat.

Front 224

Some flies can harbor over 33 million bacteria internally. True/False

Back 224

True. They can spread typhoid, cholera, dysentary. salmonella and possibly polio.

Front 225

All animals have some phenylethylamine in their urine. True/False

Back 225

True. Lions and tigers have 3,000 times more as plant eaters. It is used as an active repellent.
Monoamine oxidase readily destroys phenylethylamine.

Front 226

Is phenylethylamine found in humans?

Back 226

Yes. It acts although as a neurotransmitter, and may play a role in controlling mood.
It is found as well in some forms of chocolate.

Front 227

What are Trichthecenes/

Back 227

These are compounds that interfere with protein synthesis. They are produced by molds that infect grains like wheat, oats or corn.
They are produced by Stachybotrys chartorum, the deadly mold found in chronically moist environments.

Front 228

Light from the sun is composed of all the colors of the rainbow. True/False

Back 228

True. This is demonstarted when it passes through a prism. each color represents a different wavelength, and these individual wavelengths are bent to a different extent as they pass through a prism, we see a rainbow of colors.

Front 229

Why is Madder root red/

Back 229

Because the alizarin it contains reflects wavelengths that correspond to red and absorbs all other wavelengths.

Front 230

The ancient Greek word for drunkenness is methyl. True/False

Back 230

True.

Front 231

Turpentine is produced from pine wood. True/False

Back 231

True.

Front 232

The p450 enzyme is a cytochrome that helps the body rid itself of toxins. What does the 450 mean?

Back 232

The p is for pigment and the 450 refers to the wavelength of light used to spectroscopically identify these colored (chrome) molecules that are found inside of cells.

Front 233

What is the function of cytochrome enzymes?

Back 233

They add O2 atoms to these molecules, facilitating the flushing of the system. O2 makes it more soluble. Most cytochromic compounds are found in the liver.

Front 234

is it true that some forms of oxygenated forms of some compouinds may sometimes be more toxic.

Back 234

Yes.Benzopyrene in smoke, a relatively harmless agent is converted by cytochrome enzymes into a form that can react withand disrupt DNA. The O2 provides a handle that the DNA can seize.

Front 235

Can interactions of toxins with cytochrome p450 raise concerns?

Back 235

Yes. Furanocoumarins, found in grapefruit juice, can react with these compounds and prevent them from carrying out other detoxicating tasks.

Front 236

How is cadaverine and putrescine produced?

Back 236

Bacteria that exist in the absence of o2 can generate putrescine and cadaverine as they break down proteins in food.

Front 237

Every millimeter of saliva harbors over 100 million bacteria. True/False

Back 237

True. Ornithine yields putrescine and lysine is the source of cadaverine.

Front 238

What are some bacterial products that create halitosis?

Back 238

Dimethyl sulphide
Isovaleric acid
Hydrogen sulphide
Skatole.
Dimethyl sulphide is the aroma of boiling cabbage
Isovaleric acid- sweaty skin
Hydrogen sulphide-rotten eggs
Skatole-feces

Front 239

In the soil, iodine occurs in its ionic form, known as iodide. True/False

Back 239

True. This is what is added to salt.

Front 240

Why is cabbage considered goitrogenic?

Back 240

It has isocyanates that interfere with the absorption of iodine.
Iodide is slowly converted to iodine in moist air. since iodine is volatile, salt would lose its power to protect against goitre. It is a common preactice to add iodine stabilizers to iodized salt. These are substances that convert iodine back to iodide.

Front 241

What is cantharidin?

Back 241

a type of terpenoid, is a chemical compound secreted by many species of blister beetle, and most notably by the Spanish fly, Lytta vesicatoria. The false blister beetles, cardinal beetles and soldier beetles also produce cantharidin. It is a poisonous substance, acting as a blister agent, and can cause severe chemical burns, but these same properties make it effective as a topical medication.

Front 242

what family of drugs derived from the mold Penicillium citrinum?

Back 242

This is a mold originally found on a Japanese orange. Mevastatin, isolated from a mold was the first family of drugs that would be cvalled statins.

Front 243

What was the agent isolated in Penicillium citrinum?

Back 243

A compound discovered by Dr. Akira Endo, was capable of blocking the activity of a cholesterol synthesizing enzyme found in rat livers.
The enzyme is called beta, hydroxy beta methylglutaryl Co-A reductase or HMG CoA reductase. It was called mevastatin.

Front 244

What was the original fungus derivative for Lovastatin?

Back 244

Aspergillus terreus fungus.

Front 245

What is the chemical formula for Ethanol?

Back 245

CH3CH2OH. It quickly undergoes reaction with O2. This is oxidation. In the case of ethanol this results in the conversion to acetylaldehyde. This reaction requires a catalyst. It is alcohol dehydrogenase.

Front 246

What happens when ethanol is converted to acetyladehyde?

Back 246

A second enzyme, aldehyde dehydrogenase goes to work and converts the acetylaldehyde to acetic acid, which is excreted in the urine or processed as CO2 and H2O.

Front 247

Can ethanol be converted to acetylaldehyde in the lab?

Back 247

Yes. Dip a penny in alcohol, hold it in a flame and the alcohol is oxidized to acetylaldehyde.

Front 248

If a breathalyzer reads over 0.08, what does this mean?

Back 248

It means one has more than 8 grams of alcohol per deciliter of blood. This is impairment.
Holding ones breath for 30 seconds before giving a sample can increase the reading by 16 percent or so, while hyperventilating for 20 seconds before sampling can give a reading of that is up 30% lower than it should be.

Front 249

What is cyanocobalamin?

Back 249

It is the pre-active form of vitamin B12. Cyanocobalamin does not occur in nature but the liver can convert it to methycobalamin or adenosylcobalamin which is the active form

Front 250

What is intended when foods are called acidic or alkaline in nature?

Back 250

This depends on wether the residue after burning the food is acidic or alkaline.

Front 251

What is the trade name of Propofol?

Back 251

It is Diprivan.
Propofol produces a burning sensation when injected. It can be countered by the simultaneous administration of lidocaine.
It is known to depress respiration.

Front 252

Where does the English term gin derive from?

Back 252

It derives from the French name genievre or juniper.

Front 253

Was the early preservation of meat with salts discovered by accident?

Back 253

Most likely. When salt was used, some might have been contaminated with saltpetre, or potassium or sodium nitrate. meat treated with these chemicals has a red color, has a specific taste and is less amenable to contamination with the clostridium toxin, botulinum.

Front 254

What is Ovotransferrin?

Back 254

It is known to be responsible for egg allergies.

Front 255

What did Wilbur Olin Atwater conclude regarding food and calories/

Back 255

He concluded that proteins and carbohydrates provide 4 calories per gram while fat provides some 9 calories per gram. Alcohol was measured at 7 calories per gram and dietary fiber yielded just 2 calories per gram.

Front 256

Do plants produce cholesterol?

Back 256

No. They do produce however, closely related compounds called sterols and stanols. These might compete with cholesterol for attachment to transport molecules that carry cholesterol from the gut into the blood. Less cholesterol is absorbed as a result.

Front 257

Some asparagus spears may grow as much as 10 inches a day. True/False

Back 257

True.

Front 258

Can one increase glutathione levels by eating foods rich in this protein?

Back 258

No. Glutathione is made of 3 amino acids linked together. It is broken down when it comes into contact with the acid environment of the stomach.

Front 259

Though not thoroughly tested, what is an unusual characteristic of Ferulic acid found in asparagus?

Back 259

Some studies indicate that it may inhibit the growth of tumor supporting blood vessels.
Quercetin and rutin may destroy some cancer cells, and some steroidal saponins have been shown to encourage the death of liver cancer cells.

Front 260

What are three carotenoids found in asparagus/

Back 260

Beta carotene
Lutein
Zeaxanthin
They also have Anthocyanins. These are also found in blueberries.

Front 261

What is Guarana?

Back 261

It is extracted from a fruit. It is rich in caffeine and also has theobromine and theophylline. occasionally all three are known as Guaranine.

Front 262

is there a relationship between Xylitol and cavities?

Back 262

Possibly. The bacteria that make cavities cannot metabolize Xylitol and cannot multiply at the same rate as when fed sugar. More than 15 grams a day will usually cause gastric upset.

Front 263

The gucky material found inside of chimney sweeps is known as what?

Back 263

Creosote. It is a potential carcinogen, due to its polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

Front 264

What kind of substances have been identified in liquid smoke?

Back 264

mnay substances have been found. Some components are acetic acid, proprionic, butyric and valeric acids are just some.

Front 265

What is a simple way to make caramel?

Back 265

Put some sugar or starch in a pan, heat it, and it liquefies as caramel.

Front 266

Do humans naturally have transglutaminase in their bodies?

Back 266

Yes. It aids in blood clotting. It is found also in skin and hair.
It can be yielded from the bacterium Streptoverticillium mobaraense.

Front 267

Is Sulphoraphane found naturally in broccoli?

Back 267

No. Broccoli has a precursor, glucoraphanin. It has been found to be potentially anticarcinogenic. This occurs when glucoraphanin is acted upon by an enzyme known as myrosinase. In intact plant cells, myrosinase is separated from glucoraphanin, and only when broccoli is chewed or chopped do the two substances come into contact and release sulphoraphane.

Front 268

Sulphoraphane belongs to what class of substances?

Back 268

Isothiocyanates.
Broccoli is high in Vitamin K, and may work against medicines such as anticoagulants.

Front 269

Why is Epsom salt called Epsom?

Back 269

It was mined in Epsom in the UK. It is known as magnesium sulphate heptahydrate.

Front 270

How was vulcanized rubber discovered/

Back 270

Charles Goodyear discovered that heating latex with sulphur yielded vulcanized rubber.

Front 271

What does Locard's principle state?

Back 271

It says that when there is contact between 2 items there will always be an exchange of something. That can be dirt, sweat, fibers, hair, saliva etc.

Front 272

Who was the world's first oil millionaire?

Back 272

Johnathan Watson.

Front 273

What is kangatarian?

Back 273

It is Kangaroo meat.
kangaroos develop capture myopathy when in captivity.

Front 274

What might pose a health risk in plastic baby bottles?

Back 274

The concern was over bisphenol A )BPA) was used to formulate polycarbonates, and these couls get into the contents of the bottle.

Front 275

What are Galls on trees?

Back 275

These are growths on the bark of the oak tree caused by a type of wasp laying its egg in the bark. These growths are rich in Tannic acid, and it is used for making ink.

Front 276

Copper is often alloyed with silver in electrodes to take advantage of its oligodynamic effect. True/false

Back 276

True. Swimming pools may use this copper silver ionization that might allow for reduced use of chlorine.

Front 277

What is Argyria/

Back 277

It is an excessive ingestion of silver. It creates a gray blue skin, a condition that is permanent.

Front 278

Mercury's toxicity is a result of its ready binding to sulphur. true/False

Back 278

True. Sulphur is a crucial component of many enzymes. Some are critical to nervous system physiology, and their failure to function properly when bound to mercury causes the shakes and mental disturbances that are typical of mercury intoxication.

Front 279

Why is mercury listed as Hg in the table of the elements?

Back 279

The Romans called it hydragyrum meaning liquid silver.
Dimercaprol is an occasional treatment for mercury poisoning. It can bind to mercury through its sulphur atoms.

Front 280

What is Triacetone triperoxide?

Back 280

It is an explosive that can make liquids dangerously explosive.

Front 281

What are some substances found in chemical fire extinguishers?

Back 281

Ammonium phosphate, sodium bicarbonate or K+ bicarbonate.
water is only effective for class A fires. The fuel is from wood, paper or fabric.
Flammable liquids as in class B fires or live electrical circuits are involved these are class C fires. Dry chemical extinguishes are needed.

Front 282

The mos dangerous dioxins are the ones that have chlorine in their structure. True/false

Back 282

True. The most dangerous dioxin known is tetrochlorodibenzodioxin or TCDD.

Front 283

What is meant by Buckyball?

Back 283

It is a colloquial term for a molecule in which sixty carbon atoms are joined in a sphere as if located in the corners used to make a soccer ball.

Front 284

Why is Lead written as Pb?

Back 284

This is from the term plumbago meaning lead ore.

Front 285

What comes next in the following:
Milli-micro, nano, pico.......?

Back 285

Femto. These are power prefixes. each one is a thousand times smaller than the previous notation.
A mm=one thousandth of a meter, a um is one millionth of a meter, a nm is one billionth of a meter. a picogram is one thousandth of a billionth of a gram.
Femto from Danish meaning fifteen (femten). This is 10 to the power of negative 1 of a second It is one quadrillionth of a gram.

Front 286

What is cellulose composed of?

Back 286

It is long chains of glucose molecules. when heated to 500 C the chains break apart to produce small molecules called anhydro sugars.

Front 287

What is HFC-134a?

Back 287

It is tetrafluoroethane. It is used to inflate tires quickly.

Front 288

Can beta glucan lower cholesterol?

Back 288

As it travels through the GI tract, it binds bile acids, synthesized in the liver and secreted into the small intestine to process dietary fats. Fats not broken down may not be absorbed.

Front 289

Can bacteria recognize beta glucans?

Back 289

Bacteria in the colon do recognize it. They consume it and as a result excrete compounds called short chain fatty acids that are absorbed into the bloodstream. These fatty acids impair cholesterol synthesis.

Front 290

What is lentinan?

Back 290

In Japan, a beta glucan preparation known as Lentinan, isolated from Shitake mushrooms is used as I/V adjuvant to chemotherapy.
Shitake may promote the production of interleukin, for production of B cells.
Some of its benefits are still controversial.

Front 291

can vitamin C reduce elemental iodine (I2) to Iodide (I-) by providing electrons?

Back 291

Yes. This is reduction. Vitamin C can donate electrons to free radicals and neutralize their effect.

Front 292

What do the fruit eating bat, the guinea pig and the red vented bulbul have in common?

Back 292

They require an outside source of Vitamin C in their diet.

Front 293

What dietary supplement is derived from the shells of shrimp and crabs?

Back 293

Glucosamine. It is used for aosteoarthritis.
The idea of using glucosamine to treat osteoarthrits comes from the observation that glucosamine formed naturally in the body as a precursor of glycosaaminoglycans, which is a major component of cartilage.

Front 294

Does glucosamine come in only one form?

Back 294

No. It comes in 2 forms. The sulphate or the hydrochloride form. The hydrochloride form yields more of it in the body.
It seems to work better when combined with Condroitin. This is from cao or pig cartilage.

Front 295

What are Theriacs?

Back 295

Theriacs were potions that were believed to prevent and cure disease.
Mithridates VI who ruled Pontus in the first century tried to protect himself from being poisoned. he thought if he took small doses of it it would counter the commonly used poisons of the times such as hemlock, Henbane or snake venom. It had a positive effect. When he tried to commit suicide with Hemlock, it didnt work.

Front 296

The lack of which substance in pregnant moms can result in spina bifida?

Back 296

Folic acid.

Front 297

Are poppies associated with sleep?

Back 297

Yes. It is called Papover somniferum, (sleep bringing poppy)
Morphine is a major opiate, but codeine, thebaine, papaverine and noscopine are also present.

Front 298

What is Meow Meow substance?

Back 298

It is 4 methylmethcanthinone. It is a synthetic stimulant derived from cathinone, a natural psychoactive substance.

Front 299

Where is cathinone isolated from?

Back 299

From the leaves of the Khat plant. It is not similar to cocaine but its chemical structure is close to amphetamine.

Front 300

How is methcanthinone made?

Back 300

In the lab, a methyl group was added. It is far more powerful stimulant.

Front 301

Does meow meow have other names?

Back 301

Yes. Mephedrone. It can be dangerous and cause overstimulation of the heart.

Front 302

Name a drug employed in Thailand, to make elephants work harder.

Back 302

Amphetamine.

Front 303

Can amphetamines be used for narcolepsy?

Back 303

Yes. They have also been used as appetite suppresants.

Front 304

What is methylphenidate?

Back 304

It is Ritalin. It has been useful in some ADHD disorders.
It can also increase secretion of adrenalin and dopamine.

Front 305

Where does Ephedrine come from?

Back 305

It is from the Ma Huang plant. was used a a stimulant and decongestant.

Front 306

How did the discoverer, Ogata convert ephedrine to methamphetamine?

Back 306

He used red phosphorous and iodine.

Front 307

Cocaine was first isolated from the leaves of the cocoa plant in the 1860s. True/false

Back 307

True. It can have a local anesthetic effect.

Front 308

How does cocaine have a stimulant effect/

Back 308

It is due to cocaine's ability to prevent the neurotransmitter dopamine from being reabsorbed after it is released by nerve cells.

Front 309

Heroine was introduced by the Bayer company in 1897 as a non habit forming version of morphine. True/False

Back 309

True. It was originally synthesized by English chemist, Wright, in 1874. By 1913, Bayer stopped making it, realizing that it was more addictive than thought.

Front 310

Who was one of the first chemist to synthesize aspirin?

Back 310

Felix Hoffman.

Front 311

What is the partial pressure of O2 at the top of Mt. Everest?

Back 311

It is about .07 atmospheres. One third that of sea level.

Front 312

Would a blood sample taken on top of Mt. Everest have a different pH relative to sea level?

Back 312

Yes. Hyperventilation would occur. More CO2 would be exhaled, thus reducing the carbonic acid concentration in the blood raising the pH.

Front 313

Did the ancient Egyptians juggle for play sake?

Back 313

Yes. It has been noticed on wall paintings.

Front 314

Has juggling been known to increase the grey matter in the brain?

Back 314

Yes.

Front 315

What is a Joggler?

Back 315

It is a juggler who runs.

Front 316

Humans are made roughly of 23% carbon by weight. True/False

Back 316

True.

Front 317

Do cars produce nitric oxide?

Back 317

Yes. When N and O2 combine in a car engine they produce nitric oxide. This is a cause of acid rain.

Front 318

Is nitric oxide produced in the body?

Back 318

It is generated from arginine and causes relaxation of constricted blood vessels.

Front 319

What is the human life span?

Back 319

So far it appears to be 122. Jeanne Calment of France died in 1997 at this age, with certificate proof.

Front 320

What is noteworthy about the village of Limone Sul Garda in Italy?

Back 320

The people are noted to have very high cholesterol levels, from a high fat diet. heart disease is little known despite this. They appear to have inherited a mutated gene that is responsible for the production of a protein that prevents deposits from building up in the arteries.

Front 321

is there a type of bacteria that can protect oral hygiene?

Back 321

Yes. Streptococcus salivarius. It is considered probiotic. They do this by squeezing out the bad bacteria. S. salivarius release a protein referred to as bactericin like inhibitory substance or BLIS.

Front 322

Who is responsible for oral colonization bacteria?

Back 322

Dr. John Tagg. It has shown some efficacy in preventing strep throat.
Salivarius can also trigger cytokines, compounds that have some antiviral activity.

Front 323

What is another name for Guinea worm disease?

Back 323

Dracunculiasis. It means afflictions with little dragons.
people in these countries drink contaminated water that carries tiny fleas that is the host to the microscopic larvae. They travel to the abdomen and reproduce. The females grow and tunnel towards the skin.

Front 324

Can Guinea worms cause serious disease?

Back 324

Yes. They may attack the heart or the spinal cord. causing death. Infected individuals will stick a limb in water to ease the pain. This causes the worm to expel thousands of larvae which infect water fleas, and the cycle repeats.

Front 325

How do some people treat this condition?

Back 325

When the worm pierces the skin, they will wrap it around a stick and twirl it out. This is painful. The medical symbol, the staff of asclepius which depicts a serpent wrapped around a staff may have originated from this.

Front 326

What is temephos?

Back 326

Also called Abate, is a larvacide that is sprayed on stagnant waters to eliminate the fleas. Some regions use cloth filters for the water.
The disease is becoming rarer due to new preventive measures.

Front 327

Why is overheating of blood destructive to RBCs?

Back 327

It can result in hemolysis or destruction of RBCs. Potassium is also released, and this can be lethal.

Front 328

Can problems with identifying certain odors or smells be a marker for Alzheimer disease?

Back 328

Sometimes. Those deficient in smelling menthol, clove, lilac, pineapple, lemon, smoke etc were considered more prone to AD.

Front 329

What is gelos?

Back 329

The term is from the Greek, gelos, and it means laughter. Gelatophobia is the fear of being mocked.

Front 330

What condition is characterized by the 4 Ds, Dermatitis, Dementia, Diarrhea and Death?

Back 330

Pellagra. It is brought on by a deficiency of niacin. It was often seen in people who subsisted largely on corn diets. Pellagra means rough skin.

Front 331

What is Ignose?

Back 331

It was an old name for vitamin C. It was proposed by Szent-Gyorgyi in the 1920s. He isolated it from cabbage, lemons ornages and adrenal glands. It comes from the Latin, ignosco or I don't know.
It was also called hexuronic acid because of the 6 carbons.

Front 332

What are the porphyrias/

Back 332

They are a group of rather rare genetic blood disorders, characterized by the buildup of porphyrins in the body.
They are precursors of hemoglobin.

Front 333

What process is lacking in hemoglobin in porphyria?

Back 333

Due to enzyme abnormalities, the porphyrins are synthesized, but not incorporated into the hemoglobin molecule. As a consequence, they tend to build up in tissues, and sometimes even in the teeth.

Front 334

Do porphyrins absorb light?

Back 334

Yes. They absorb both visible and ultraviolet light, and transfer the energy to O2 molecules to form a singlet O2, which is a very energetic form of O2. This O2 form has a strong effect on tissues and causes the symptoms.

Front 335

Where does the term porphyria derive from?

Back 335

From the Greek for purple pigment. patients may have a purplish discoloration of their urine and feces. Porphyrin buildup in teeth can give the teeth a reddish color, associating this condition with mythical vampire accounts.

Front 336

Can garlic be damaging to hemoglobin?

Back 336

Yes. Allyl disulphide, one of the many compounds found in garlic activate an enzyme that destroys hemoglobin by displacing iron from the molecule.

Front 337

Who was Mary mallon?

Back 337

She was also known as typhoid mary because she was thought to be responsible for many cases of typhoid fever. She never actually showed symptoms of the disease. She was a carrier of Salmonella typhimurium.

Front 338

What are Phytoplankton?

Back 338

They are microscopic algae referred to as phytoplankton. They live on the water surface of large bodies of water.
Some 5 thousand species exist.

Front 339

Are all phytoplankton toxic?

Back 339

No. About 2 % are toxic and cause harmful algal blooms.
Some algae are colored and can turn ocean waters a bright red.

Front 340

List one species of algae capable of causing a red tide.

Back 340

Karenia brevis. These can cause a strong red tide. They also can produce brevetoxin, which is toxic to other forms of life.

Front 341

Can this toxin cause respiratory irritation?

Back 341

Yes. A toxic aerosol is possible when it exists along the coast and wind blows it inland.

Front 342

Is Brevetoxin lethal to humans?

Back 342

It can be. Consuming shellfish, even scallops and oysters, which are filter feeders can cause paralysis or possible death due to brevetoxin. Cooking does not destroy the toxin.

Front 343

Is the root of the mandrake plant shaped like a human body?

Back 343

Yes. Because of this it was thought to have beneficial effects. It does contain hyoscine, which has some pain killing effects.

Front 344

What is Natron?

Back 344

It is also known as mummy mineral. It is a mixture of sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate, and was found on the banks of the Nile river. The salts absorbed water and form hydrates. without water, the microbes that cause decay cannot survive.

Front 345

What is a resumator?

Back 345

It is an instrument that converts a human or animal body to an oily liquid and a white powder. It has a concentrated solution of potassium hydroxide. It is a form of alkaline hydrolysis, and is considered more environmentally friendly. Its cost although is prohibitive.

Front 346

What was Thallium nitrate used for?

Back 346

It was once used to poison rats.
In humans it produces terrible neurological effects, often followed by death.

Front 347

Can hair absorb thallium nitrate?

Back 347

Yes. Because of this, the rate of hair growth is known, and a timeline for exposure can be established.

Front 348

Is aged cheese high in tyramine?

Back 348

Yes. This is a compound that can cause high blood pressure. Under normal conditions tyramine is metabolized by monoamine oxidase. When this enzyme is inhibited, the tyramine levels rise sharply, and may cause a stroke.
This is why aged cheeses are not recommended for people on monoamine oxidase inhibitors, such as isocarboxazid or Marplan, for depression.

Front 349

What is sodium thiopental, pancuronium bromide and potassium chlorate have in common?

Back 349

They are used for chemical executions.

Front 350

What is sodium thiopental used for?

Back 350

It is a barbiturate that is injected to induce anesthesia before pancuronium bromide is given, to paralyze muscles.

Front 351

What is the potassium chlorate used for?

Back 351

It floods the blood with potassium which interferes with electrical signalling and stops the heart.

Front 352

What chemical is used for straightening hair?

Back 352

It is a keratin treatment. It is mixed with formaldehyde and applied to the hair.
Formaldehyde is a potential carcinogen. At 0.1 parts per million, it can cause irritation of the eyes and may trigger asthma.

Front 353

Where is retinyl palmitate found?

Back 353

It is a form of vitamin A that is added to cosmetic creams and lotions to reduce fine lines.
In the skin, retinyl palmitate, is converted by enzymes first to retinol, then to retinaldehyde and then to retinoic acid. This activates collagen formation.

Front 354

What is Tretinoin?

Back 354

Retinoic acid as tretinoin is usually given tot
treat acne, and reduce wrinkles.
Topical retinoic acid can sometimes sensitize the skin to U/V light.

Front 355

Titaniun dioxide and zinc oxide are two often used components in sunblock. True/False

Back 355

True.

Front 356

What is meant by collagen being a dynamic protein?

Back 356

It is continuously being produced and being broken down.
Cells called fibroblasts weave individual amino acids into long protein chains.
Collagen production slows down with age.

Front 357

Does wild yams contain diosgenin?

Back 357

Yes. This is a compound similar to progesterone, but is only converted to progesterone in a laboratory, not in the body.

Front 358

Where is dihydroxyacetone found?

Back 358

It is found in sunless suntan products.

Front 359

What is a glycogen storage disease?

Back 359

These are rare genetic conditions caused by enzyme deficiencies. These enzymes convert glucose into glycogen, or converting glycogen back into glucose, which is used as an energy source.

Front 360

Was the discovery of dihydroxyacetone a serendipity?

Back 360

Yes. A researcher , Eva Wittgenstein in the 1950s gave large oral doses of DHA to children with glycogen storage diseases, as it was a necessary step in this disease. She noticed that it tended to stain the skin.

Front 361

Is DHA a simple sugar?

Back 361

Yes. When placed on the skin which has many proteins, they form melanoidins, which will brown the skin.

Front 362

What is the Maillard reaction?

Back 362

A reaction between proteins and sugars, by Louis Maillard many years earlier.

Front 363

U/V light from the sun encompasses a range of wavelengths. True/False

Back 363

True. These wavelengths range from 280 to 400 nanometers. Those wavelengths from 280-320, are shorter and more energetic. These are UV-B wavelengths.

Front 364

What are UV-A wavelengths?

Back 364

These are less energetic, ranging from 320-400nanometers. All these UV rays can break bonds in the skin and disrupt DNA structure and possibly trigger cancer.

Front 365

UV-B rays are mostly absorbed by molecules near the skin surface and can cause sunburn. True/False

Back 365

True. However, can pass through glass and are more penetrating and cause aging of the skin. Both of these rays should be blocked.

Front 366

How do sunscreens work?

Back 366

They contain organic molecules that filter out the shorter UVB rays. These compounds such as octyl methoxycinnamate, one of the most common sunscreens, absorbs UVB waves and reemit the energy as a harmless infrared light, as heat.
Titanium dioxide and zinc oxide prevent penetration of these rays. These appear white on the skin, because the oxides scatter light.

Front 367

The sun protection factoe or SPF only refers to UV-B rays. True/False

Back 367

True. SPF of 15 already filters out 93% of UVB.

Front 368

What is another name for the Belladonna plant?

Back 368

Deadly nightshade. The berries contain atropine.
Strychnine can kill, but leaves a distorted face at death. It is from the Nux vomica tree.

Front 369

Why is deadly nightshade called Belladonna?

Back 369

Romans coined the term and believed that women with dilated pupils were more beautiful. It can dilate pupils and considered a parasympatheticolytic drug.

Front 370

Can spoiled milk smooth out age wrinkes?

Back 370

Sometimes. It contains lactic acid. Lactic acid is in the class of alpha hydroxy acids that can peel away top skin layers.
Tartaric acid may have the same effect. It is found in some wines. The same may be said for glycolic acid from sugar cane.

Front 371

Can MRI procedures present a problem for people with tattoos?

Back 371

Yes. Adverse reactions have been noted.

Front 372

What are some of the pigments used in making tattoos?

Back 372

Carbon
Titanium dioxide
Copper phthalocyanine (blue, green)
Indigoid (red)
Iron oxide (brown, black)

Front 373

Which of the above used pigments is said to interfer with MRI tests?

Back 373

Iron oxide. It can cause skin irritation and image interference. These are rare occurrences.
It is believed that the tiny particles of iron oxide move under the influence of the large magnetic field to which a patient is exposed. The friction creates heat.

Front 374

About 15% of ingested salt actually comes from the salt shaker. True/False

Back 374

True. The body only needs about 1.5 grams of salt each day.

Front 375

A teaspoon of salt weighs how much?

Back 375

IT weighs about 6 grams and has about 2.3 grams of sodium.

Front 376

Is the ingestion of methanol poisonous?

Back 376

If it is ingested it is poisonous. Once in the bloodstream, the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase converts it into formaldehyde, which is then converted to formic acid by the enzyme aldehde dehydrogenase.

Front 377

What effect does formic acid have on the blood?

Back 377

It causes acidosis. This impairs O2 transport and death from respiratory failure.

Front 378

If one ingests methanol, why can ethanol be used as an antidote?

Back 378

Alcohol dehydrogenase reacts more quickly with ethanol than methanol, so if ethanol is administered I/V, the enzyme goes to work ethanol and leaves the methanol to be excreted.
The product with ethanol is acetic acid.

Front 379

What is Fomepizole?

Back 379

This inactivates alcohol dehydrogenase and prevents the formation of formic acid. Its cost is prohibitive.
Folic acid is also given because the body metabolizes formic acid to CO2 and water.

Front 380

For a 70kg person, one ml of methanol is fatal. True/False

Back 380

True.
As well, ethylene glycol which is in antifreeze, may result in toxic oxalic acid.

Front 381

If a dog laps up methanol, it can be given 100 proof vodka. True/False

Back 381

True.

Front 382

Chloroform exposure can come about through drinking chlorinated water. True/False

Back 382

True. Chlorine is not the active chemical. It is hypochlorous acid. This forms whenever, chlorine, calcium hypochlorite or sodium hypochlorite are dissolved in water.
Hypochlorous acid can incorporate chlorine atoms into molecules. These species are toxic.

Front 383

What are Humic acids?

Back 383

These are water soluble, non bio degradable components of decayed plant matter.
When hypochlorous acid reacts with humic acids, the result is chloroform. It is a suspected carcinogen.

Front 384

Agave is used to produce Tequilla. True/False

Back 384

True. It is also used as agave nectar and syrup.

Front 385

What is the sugar composition of agave syrup?

Back 385

It is 92% fructose and 8% glucose. Fructose is about half as sweet as sucrose. A teaspoon of agave has more calories than a teaspoon of sugar.

Front 386

Some studies have actually shown that fructose is used more by cancer cells than glucose. True/False

Back 386

True. There is some evidence from rats that a diet high in fructose leads to leptin resistance.
Leptin is a hormone that tells the brain when enough food has been eaten. Leptin resistance may trigger obesity.

Front 387

Which agent has been implicated in hamburger disease?

Back 387

E. coli 0157:H7. It is a bacterium responsible for uremic hemolytic syndrome.
Bacteria are routinely found on the meat as it is being ground.

Front 388

Does S. mutans cause tooth decay?

Back 388

Yes. It breaks down sugars into lactic acid, which is corrosive to enamel.
Scientists have produced a strain that does not produce lactic acid.

Front 389

What is phytophotodermatitis?

Back 389

This is a reaction that occurs when skin sensitized by chemicals found in certain plants is exposed to U/V light. Fig leaves have been known to possess this chemical.

Front 390

What exactly are these phyto chemicals?

Back 390

They are compounds known as furocoumarins, or psoralens, after psoralen which is the parent compound.
In some cultures it was used for vitiligo. Many vegetable plants produce it.

Front 391

What is celery handlers rash?

Back 391

It is a psoralen induced rash that is an occupational hazard fro supermarket workers.
Lime have occasionally caused similar rashes.

Front 392

What is Phosphine?

Back 392

It is a toxic gas, and can be created by zinc phosphide reacting with moisture. It has a garlic, fishy smell.

Front 393

How did Salmonella get its name?

Back 393

From Daniel Salmon. He was a veterinarian who first isolated it from pigs in the late 1800s.

Front 394

Can salmonella cause Reiter's syndrome?

Back 394

Yes. It is a reactive arthritis.

Front 395

What is bacillus thuringiensis?

Back 395

It is used to control mosquito or blackfly populations.
Malathion is used to kill insect pests, but also kill beneficial insects, and is toxic to humans.

Front 396

How does B. thuringiensis work?

Back 396

It produces proteins known to damage cell membranes in the guts of insect larvae. These toxins require an alkaline environment that exists in the insect gut.

Front 397

Do manure pits release toxic gases?

Back 397

Yes. They release hydrogen sulphide gas. Some pits release lethal quantities of the gas.
It has also been found in oil fields.
It can desensitize the olfactory cells, so one is unaware of the odor.

Front 398

Why can Pepto bismul cause the tongue to turn black?

Back 398

It is Bismuth subsalicylate. It combines with trace amounts of sulphur in saliva and the GI tract a black sulphide is formed. The feces may also turn black for the same reason.

Front 399

What was an old name for Sulphuric acid?

Back 399

Vitriol.

Front 400

Where does the word gibberish come from?

Back 400

It may be derived from the English name, Geber, in reference to alchemists use of secret codes that were to others, incomprehensible or gibberish.

Front 401

How much lead is contained in pencils?

Back 401

They don't have lead in them. The lead is a mixture of graphite and clay. The more graphite, the softer and darker the point.
It is believed that the Romans used pieces of lead to draw lines on scrolls in order to guide them in writing with a tiny brush called a pencillus.

Front 402

Can peppermint oil worsen GERD?

Back 402

Yes. Peppermint oil has menthol, and it can affect the valve between the stomach and the esophagus (gastroesophageal valve) It opens it up.

Front 403

Is it dangerous to mix toilet bowl cleaner with bleach?

Back 403

Very dangerous. It can form chlorine gas, and it could be fatal.
Bleach is sodium or calcium hypochlorite. When mixed with acids it forms chlorine gas.

Front 404

What do most toilet bowl cleaners contain?

Back 404

They contain sodium hydrogen sulphate, an acid that readily frees chlorine from bleach. The acrid fumes are very corrosive to lung tissues.

Front 405

Is it dangerous to mix bleach and ammonia?

Back 405

Yes. It can form chloramine vapors. Chloramines is the odor of swimming pools. It is the mixing of chlorine with urea in the water.

Front 406

How are antivenins created?

Back 406

Small doses of poison are injected into horses or goats. It triggers the formation of antibodies. the antibodies are isolated from the serum.
The extraction process occasionally may also include various cellular components that may result in allergic reactions.

Front 407

The venom of the pit viper has a strong anticlotting effect. True/False

Back 407

True. A drug made from it has been tested on stroke patients who are at risk for clots. 42% who received it (Ancrod) within 3 hours of the stroke almost fully recovered.

Front 408

What is proposition 65 in california?

Back 408

It basically says that no food or drink shall be served, knowingly, to cause cancer or be a carcinogen.

Front 409

What is the result when asparagine, (found in proteins) reacts with glucose?

Back 409

Acrylamide. It is a suspected carcinogen.
When ingested it is broken down by glutathione or it is converted to urine soluble glycidamide.
Acrylamide and glycidamide are very reactive, and can damage body proteins and nucleic acids.
Glycidamide is a known carcinogen.

Front 410

What is interesterification?

Back 410

It is a process to produce trans fat free margarine.
Fats are triglyceride compounds having three fatty acids attached to a glycerol molecule.

Front 411

How many carbons are in a short chain fattty acid?

Back 411

They have generally fewer than 6 carbons. Medium chain F/As have 6-12, ans long chain F/As have more than 12 carbons.
saturated fats have no double bonds, monounsaturated fats have 1 and polysaturated fats have 2 or more double bonds.

Front 412

What is the chemical composition of olive oil?

Back 412

It is 75% Oleic acid(18 carbons and 1 double bond), 16% stearic acid, (18 carbons and no double bonds) and 9% linoleic acid (18 carbons, no double bonds.

Front 413

Saturated fats tend to drive up cholesterol. True/False

Back 413

True. This is especially true of Palmitic acid. Unsaturated fats tend not to do this.

Front 414

What is Rubratoxin B?

Back 414

It is a potent toxic and caecinogenic mold.
There is also the sugar-cane mould that produces 3 nitroproprionic acid, which has been known to cause seizures.
Tricothecenes from the Fusaria mould are toxic.
Aflatoxins are produced by a mould that grows on peanuts and corn.

Front 415

Is Quorn a mushroom?

Back 415

No.It is a fungus isolated from a soil sample taken from a village in the UK. It is a high protein replacement for meat. It is low in saturated fat.

Front 416

What is a oolichan?

Back 416

It is a smelt like fish that is very greasy. When burned it can almost resemble a candle. It is occasionally called a candle fish. It is today on the endangered list

Front 417

What is Miraculin?

Back 417

This is a protein that can alter sweet receptors on , thus sensitizing them to chemicals that would normally taste sour. taste buds Miraculin can change the shape
of the sweet receptor, making activation by sour compounds possible. It is found in miracle or sweet red berries.

Front 418

What is a triterpinoid?

Back 418

It is a chemical compound found in the skin of apples. They have been suspected of slowing down the growth of cancerous cells.

Front 419

How does a tumor cell ensure that its O2 needs are met?

Back 419

It sends out a message in a protein called hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF). This signals the surrounding tissue to make new blood vessels.

Front 420

Is there a compound found in cruciferous vegetables that can interfere with HIF?

Back 420

Phenylethyl isothiocyanate, is a compound released from cruciferous vegetables, has been known to interfere with the HIF mechanism.

Front 421

What is sodium acid pyrophosphate or sodium bisulphate used for?

Back 421

It is used to discourage dark tuber. This discoloration is due to a chemical reaction between iron and chlorgenic acid, both are natural components of a potato. These two substances bind iron and prevent it from reacting with chlorogenic acid.

Front 422

Why is sodium nitrate sometimes added to certain meats, especially spam meats?

Back 422

Adding sodium nitrite to the spam mix results in a pink color. It reacts with the myoglobin in the meat to form a pink nitrosomyoglobin. Nitrite is also a preservative. It is used especially for discouraging the growth of C. botulinum.

Front 423

Why are some packaged foods made with a small sachet of iron?

Back 423

Iron binds to O2. Removing the O2 will kill any bugs or some bacteria accidentally packaged into the product.
The packet is really a mixture of iron and ferrous oxide

Front 424

What was one of the first food additives historically?

Back 424

It was calcium sulphate(plaster of paris). It is still used in bread to provide the yeast with calcium, which is considered essential for these microbes.

Front 425

In foods, how is citric acid produced?

Back 425

It is made from sugar by fermentation with specific fungi or yeasts.
When colonies of the fungus, Aspergillus niger, or some other Candida species are fed sucrose they produce citric acid. Citric acid can easily sequester metal ions such as copper and iron which lead to oxidation.

Front 426

How else is citric acid used?

Back 426

It is used as an effervescent in Alka seltzer, where its reaction with sodium bicarbonate produces a fizz of CO2. This is done to impress the consumer.

Front 427

How much bromine is found in cocaobeans?

Back 427

Practically none. cacao beans grow on as tree named Theobroma cacao.
Theobromine is found in chocolate, in quantities depending on the type of chocolate.

Front 428

Which spice has been used to treat motion sickness?

Back 428

Ginger. It is used in India as a treatment for arthritis. Ginger may trigger the release of prostaglandins. Though these are considered proinflammatory, some have anti-inflammatory properties.

Front 429

what chemical is used as a salt substitute?

Back 429

Potassium chloride.
It is also used as a form of lethal injection.
It does not raise blood pressure like sodium does.

Front 430

What is the Montreal protocol?

Back 430

It is an international treaty for protecting the ozone layer. It especially takes interest in the the compound of methyl bromide.

Front 431

Is methyl bromide as dangerous as CFCs?

Back 431

It is more dangerous. It can destroy the ozone layer by 50X as chlorofluorocarbons.
Methyl bromide is a pesticide.

Front 432

What is Arnica?

Back 432

It is a daisy like plant that has been used for centuries to soothe aching muscles. It is believed that this effect was first noticed by shepherds, when they saw sheep rubbing against this at painful areas. This has not been proven.

Front 433

What is helenalin?

Back 433

Helenalin was isolated from the plant by German researchers in 1981. It has anti inflammatory properties.
Arnica in German is Fallkraut, which means fall herb.

Front 434

Why do farmers as well as winemakers often keep a supply of Bordeaux mixture on hand.

Back 434

It is a fungicide.
Copper ions inactivate enzymes that fungal spores need to germinate. Spraying with Bordeaux mixture made from copper sulphate and calcium hydroxide (lime) can prevent fungal infestation.

Front 435

What was the great french wine blight?

Back 435

It was caused by an American aphid that destroyed vines by injecting a toxin as it sucked their sap.

Front 436

What is the best way to drop an egg 10 feet without breaking it?

Back 436

Drop it from more than 10 feet. Will not break for the first 10 feet.

Front 437

Where does the word crap come from?

Back 437

From the old French, crappe which sttod for the grain that was trodden underfoot in a barn.
It does not come from Thomas crapper. he was a plumbing engineer who improved the flush toilet by introducing the floating ball shut off valve. He did not invent the flush toilet.

Front 438

What is D- fructofuranosyl-alpha-Dglucopyranoside?

Back 438

It is maple syrup.

Front 439

What is Abscicic acid?

Back 439

It is a plant hormone that is found in plants. It stimulates the release of insulin from the pancreas.

Front 440

What is fenugreek?

Back 440

It is extracted from a spice and contains sotolone. It smells like maple syrup.

Front 441

What is maple syrup urine disease?

Back 441

It arises from improper metabolism of some commonly occurring amino acids in the diet. Isoleucine, leucine and valine are not broken down normally, because the enzymes that do this are not produced. Neurological damage is the result.

Front 442

Bacillus fragilis has shown some promise in the treatment of IBS. True/False

Back 442

True.
Lactobacillus has shown to increase the activity of natural killer cells.

Front 443

What are humic substances?

Back 443

These are major organic components of soil, or compounds of carbon.

Front 444

What are fulvic acids?

Back 444

These are compounds produced by the biode gradation of organic matter.

Front 445

According to legend, where does the term magnet come from?

Back 445

Magnes, a shepherd noted mysterious deposits around the iron nails in his sandals. They were likely particles of natural iron oxide (Fe3O4), also known as magnetite. The area where it was discovered was named Magnesia.

Front 446

Has resverastrol been shown to block cyclooxygenase?

Back 446

In some studies, it has.

Front 447

Which solvents have been used to decaffeinate coffee beans?

Back 447

Methylene chloride and ethyl acetate.
Ethyl acetate is found in some fruits.

Front 448

Where is limonene found?

Back 448

It is found in lemon juice.

Front 449

Why are K rations called this?

Back 449

They were named after Dr. Ancel Keys, an American physiologist, who was ask to make a compact but nutritionally complete food packs for soldiers.
Dr Keys was the first to demonstrate the link between saturated fat and heart disease.

Front 450

What was an ancient Chinese test for Diabetes?

Back 450

Chinese doctors would spill a drop of urine on the ground to see if ants gathered around it. Ants are attracted to sweets, and diabetics have glucose in the urine.

Front 451

What was the first male hormone isolated?

Back 451

Androsterone. It was isolated by Adolf Butenandt in the 1930s.

Front 452

Which hormone is known as the "death cap"?

Back 452

Amanita phalloides. These are mushrooms.
The amatoxins interfere with the ability of DNA to direct protein synthesis. Death is usually from liver failure.
5-10 mg is fatal. This is found in one third of one mushroom.

Front 453

Is there an antidote for amanitin toxicity?

Back 453

There is no officvial antidote. There is some evidence silibinin, which is extracted from the milk thistle plant, may reduce liver damage.
The toxins in the death cap exhaust the liver's glutathione, which is an important detoxifying compound.

Front 454

Is there a way to increase glutathione levels?

Back 454

This has been done by administering N-acetycysteine.

Front 455

Adrenalin is derived from which Greek phrase?

Back 455

"Stir into action"

Front 456

Who was the first person to describe Celiac disease?

Back 456

Dr. Samuel Gee in 1888. It was officialized by by William K. Dicke, a Dutch physician. When Germans tried to starve the Dutch of wheat, they had to rely on home grown potatoes and corn. Many wheat related symptoms that people were suffering, were abating.

Front 457

John Collins Warren used for the first time , which compound for surgical patients?

Back 457

Ether. This was done as recommended by dentist William Morton.

Front 458

What is the likely poison that killed Shakespeare's Romeo?

Back 458

Aconitine, from the aconite plant. It is also known as monkshood or wolfsbane. (used also to poison wolves).

Front 459

Are east Asians more prone to acetyaldehyde exposure?

Back 459

Yes. Acetylaldehyde is responsible for the flushing effects of alcohol. A major cause of acetyaldehyde buildup is a variation in the gene that codes for aldehyde dehydrogenase with the gene producing an inactive form of the enzyme.

Front 460

Is there a way to rest for acetyaldehyde vulnerability?

Back 460

Yes. An ethanol patch test can be done.A drop of 70% alcohol on a lint patch attached to the arm. if after 10 minutes, the skin turns red, aldehyde dehydrogenase deficiency is likely.

Front 461

Is there a relationship between acetylaldehyde and antacids?

Back 461

Yes.There is some evidence that the facial flushing from acetylaldehyde can be slowed or prevented by taking an H2 blocker, (Pepcid) about 30 minutes prior to imbibing. The drug interferes with the enzyme that converts alcohol into acetylaldehyde. There is less acetylaldehyde buildup.

Front 462

What is Antabuse?

Back 462

This drug is used sometimes to discourage alcoholics from drinking. It inactivates aldehyde dehydrogenase, leading to a build up of acetylaldehyde.

Front 463

Why does meat turn brown?

Back 463

This occurs when myoglobin(O2 storing protein) reacts with O2 in the air to form metmyoglobin.
This can be averted by spiking it with CO, that will form carboxyhemoglobin.

Front 464

What is a very common colorant used today?

Back 464

Titanium dioxide. It is also used in lane divider markers, due to its excellent reflective characteristics.
It is also used in sunblocks.

Front 465

Horseradish can be linked to the urine test for diabetes. True/False

Back 465

True, One of the clinical reagents used in the clinistix urine test for diabetes is an enzyme extracted from the horseradish root, called horseradish peroxidase.

Front 466

How is the horseradish peroxidase test enhanced?

Back 466

It is enhanced by hydrogen peroxidase, and is between hydrogen peroxide and o-toluidine. Glucose produces H2O2 and H2O2 produces the blue color when it reacts with toluidine. The extent of the color formation is dependent on the quantity of glucose present.

Front 467

How does the Benedict test for glucose work?

Back 467

It is based on the ability of copper ions to oxidize glucose. Copper sulphate is blue, but when it reacts with glucose it is converted to copper oxide, which is red.

Front 468

Which is one of the most expensive spices in the world?

Back 468

Saffron. It is isolated from a crocus.
The stigma is the part of the flower that catches pollen and sits atop a stem called a style. It takes a lot of styles to produce one gram of dried saffron strands.

Front 469

What compound causes the yellow color of saffron?

Back 469

Alpha-crocin. it is related to the carotenes found in carrots.
Its flavor comes from picrocrocin. saffron's fragrence is called safranal.