chemicals info: October 2010

Age no impediment to hot sex

Scientists in the US and Australia have shown that age is not a barrier to hot sex, at least when it comes to one of the world's oldest species of tree. Reporting their findings in the journal Science, University of Utah researcher Irene Terry, together with Gimme Walter, Chris Moore and Craig Hull from the University of Queensland, have solved a long standing puzzle about the reproduction of cycads, primitive plants dubbed "living fossils" that date back almost 300 million years.

Plastic Bottles Release Faster Sex Disrupting Chemical in Contact With Hot Liquids!

Bisphenol A (BPA) was investigated in the 1930s during the search for synthetic estrogens. Diethylstilbestrol proved more powerful than estrogen, so bisphenol A was not used as a synthetic estrogen.

Currently, it is a primary monomer in polycarbonate plastic and epoxy resins. Bisphenol A is also employed as an antioxidant in plasticizers and as an inhibitor for polymerization in PVC. These plastics are a common constituent of many products, from sunglasses and CDs to water and food containers and shatter-resistant baby bottles.

Some polymers employed in dental fillings also contain bisphenol A, while epoxy is a common coating for the inside of cans in food industry. BPA leaks from plastics get cleaned with harsh detergents containing acidic components or at high temperatures, and now most people in developed countries present this chemical at very low concentrations. The chemical has been linked by some researches to sterility in women.

Chemistry of Autumn Leaf Color

How Fall Colors Work

Leaf Colors

The color of a leaf results from an interaction of different pigments produced by the plant. The main pigment classes responsible for leaf color are porphyrins, carotenoids, and flavonoids. The color that we perceive depends on the amount and types of the pigments that are present. Chemical interactions within the plant, particularly in response to acidity (pH) also affect the leaf color.