Chemistry For Your Life

By: Melissa and Jam Bleav
  • Summary

  • A podcast that helps you understand the fascinating chemistry hidden in your everyday life. Have you ever wondered why onions make you cry? Or how soap gets your hands clean? What really is margarine, or why do trees change colors in the fall? Melissa is a chemist, and to answer these questions she started a podcast, called Chemistry for your life! In each episode Melissa explains the chemistry behind one of life’s mysteries to Jam, who is definitely not a chemist, but she explains it in a way that is easy to understand, and totally fascinating. If you’re someone who loves learning new things, or who wonders about the way the world works, then give us a listen.
    © For Your Life 2023, All rights reserved.
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Episodes
  • Why does ibuprofen take so long to work?
    Oct 3 2024

    #196

    New College-Style Sweatshirt!

    Melissa and Jam delve into the science behind ibuprofen, exploring why it takes around 30 minutes to work. The discussion covers the chemistry of ibuprofen, including the concept of chiral molecules and enantiomers—molecules with mirror-image forms—highlighting how only one form of ibuprofen works effectively. The episode explains why both forms are included in the medication due to production challenges and discusses recent findings about ibuprofen's potential in cancer treatment. Additionally, the show features various fun facts about ibuprofen, aspirin comparisons, environmentally friendly production methods, and more.

    00:00 Introduction and Episode Overview
    05:07 Chemistry Lesson: Handedness of Molecules
    17:52 Ibuprofen's Chiral Nature and Its Effects
    19:15 The Racemic Mixture of Ibuprofen
    24:06 The Wastefulness of Chemistry
    24:29 Challenges of Purifying Enantiomers
    25:16 Economic and Environmental Considerations
    26:28 Understanding Ibuprofen's Handedness
    27:26 The Debate on Enantiomer Separation
    34:45 Fun Facts About Ibuprofen
    39:55 Green Chemistry and Ibuprofen
    45:42 Community and Closing Remarks

    References from this episode:
    1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4276492/
    2. https://thispodcastwillkillyou.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/TPWKY-Episode-29-Aspirin.pdf
    3. https://www.chemistryworld.com/podcasts/ibuprofen/4011375.article
    4. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/epdf/10.1021/bi010045s?ref=article_openPDF
    5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4355401/ 6. Garret & Grisham Biochemistry Textbook

    We want to give a special thanks to Bri McAllister for illustrating molecules for some episodes! Please go check out Bri’s art, follow and support her at entr0pic.artstation.com and @McAllisterBri on twitter!

    Thanks to our monthly supporters

    • Scott B
    • Jessie Reder
    • Ciara Linville
    • J0HNTR0Y
    • Jeannette Napoleon
    • Cullyn R
    • Erica Bee
    • Elizabeth P
    • Sarah Moar
    • Rachel Reina
    • Letila
    • Katrina Barnum-Huckins
    • Suzanne Phillips
    • Venus Rebholz
    • Lyn Stubblefield
    • Jacob Taber
    • Brian Kimball
    • Emerson Woodhall
    • Kristina Gotfredsen
    • Timothy Parker
    • Steven Boyles
    • Chris Skupien
    • Chelsea B
    • Bri McAllister
    • Avishai Barnoy
    • Hunter Reardon
    ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ ★ Buy Podcast Merch and Apparel ★

    Check out our website at chemforyourlife.com

    Watch our episodes on YouTube

    Find us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @ChemForYourLife

    Show More Show Less
    49 mins
  • Ask a Chemist: Does raw milk have more bacteria? (and other questions)
    Sep 26 2024

    Question and Response #60

    New College-Style Sweatshirt!

    In this episode of 'Ask a Chemist' on the Chemistry for Your Life podcast, hosts Melissa and Jam tackle a diverse range of fun and fascinating chemistry questions. Topics include the differences between oxygen in water and air, the properties of jello, the mystery behind glitter, and the impact of pasteurization on milk safety. The episode also addresses more complex inquiries such as infrared spectroscopy and the oxidative stability of whole grain flour.

    00:00 Introduction to Ask a Chemist
    02:39 The Pasteurization Question
    08:51 What Makes Jello Jello?
    10:06 Oxygen in Water vs. Air
    12:40 The Mystery of Glitter
    15:46 Infrared Spectroscopy and Northern Lights
    18:29 Oxidation in Flour
    22:17 Collagen and Muscle Building
    26:06 Listener Reviews and Closing Remarks

    References from this episode:
    1. https://www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/l.vanloon

    We want to give a special thanks to Bri McAllister for illustrating molecules for some episodes! Please go check out Bri’s art, follow and support her at entr0pic.artstation.com and @McAllisterBri on twitter!

    Thanks to our monthly supporters

    • Autoclave
    • Chelsea M
    • Dorien V
    • Scott B
    • Jessie Reder
    • Ciara Linville
    • J0HNTR0Y
    • Jeannette Napoleon
    • Cullyn R
    • Erica Bee
    • Elizabeth P
    • Sarah Moar
    • Rachel Reina
    • Letila
    • Katrina Barnum-Huckins
    • Suzanne Phillips
    • Venus Rebholz
    • Lyn Stubblefield
    • Jacob Taber
    • Brian Kimball
    • Emerson Woodhall
    • Kristina Gotfredsen
    • Timothy Parker
    • Steven Boyles
    • Chris Skupien
    • Chelsea B
    • Bri McAllister
    • Avishai Barnoy
    • Hunter Reardon
    ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ ★ Buy Podcast Merch and Apparel ★

    Check out our website at chemforyourlife.com

    Watch our episodes on YouTube

    Find us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @ChemForYourLife

    Show More Show Less
    30 mins
  • How do pain killers relieve pain?
    Sep 19 2024

    #195

    New College-Style Sweatshirt!

    In this episode of Chemistry For Your Life, hosts Melissa and Jam delve into the science behind ibuprofen, a common pain reliever. They discuss the role of prostaglandins in inflammation, how ibuprofen inhibits the cox enzyme to reduce pain, and the body's natural immune response. They also share personal anecdotes about meeting listeners, their favorite types of ibuprofen, and explore plans for future episodes about other pain relievers.

    00:00 Introduction and Personal Anecdote
    01:00 Meet the Hosts
    01:11 Exciting Announcements
    02:46 Listener Shoutout
    05:41 Understanding Pain and Inflammation
    06:48 The Role of Prostaglandins
    14:38 How Ibuprofen Works
    18:15 Personal Experiences with Pain
    21:16 Preview of Next Episode
    22:10 Understanding Pain and Inflammation
    23:07 The Role of Prostaglandins
    24:50 Enzymes and Their Functions
    27:11 How Ibuprofen Works
    35:11 Personal Experiences with Ibuprofen
    40:42 Supporting the Show and Final Thoughts

    References from this episode:
    1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4276492/
    2. https://thispodcastwillkillyou.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/TPWKY-Episode-29-Aspirin.pdf
    3. https://www.chemistryworld.com/podcasts/ibuprofen/4011375.article
    4. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/epdf/10.1021/bi010045s?ref=article_openPDF
    5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4355401/ 6. Garret & Grisham Biochemistry Textbook

    We want to give a special thanks to Bri McAllister for illustrating molecules for some episodes! Please go check out Bri’s art, follow and support her at entr0pic.artstation.com and @McAllisterBri on twitter!

    Thanks to our monthly supporters

    • Scott B
    • Jessie Reder
    • Ciara Linville
    • J0HNTR0Y
    • Jeannette Napoleon
    • Cullyn R
    • Erica Bee
    • Elizabeth P
    • Sarah Moar
    • Rachel Reina
    • Letila
    • Katrina Barnum-Huckins
    • Suzanne Phillips
    • Venus Rebholz
    • Lyn Stubblefield
    • Jacob Taber
    • Brian Kimball
    • Emerson Woodhall
    • Kristina Gotfredsen
    • Timothy Parker
    • Steven Boyles
    • Chris Skupien
    • Chelsea B
    • Bri McAllister
    • Avishai Barnoy
    • Hunter Reardon
    ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ ★ Buy Podcast Merch and Apparel ★

    Check out our website at chemforyourlife.com

    Watch our episodes on YouTube

    Find us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @ChemForYourLife

    Show More Show Less
    43 mins

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