Category: Medicine
Niacin is also known as Vitamin B3. Interestingly, it's also called "nicotinic acid," and the similarity of the name to "nicotine" isn't coincidental:...
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Posted by Molecule of the Day at 10:20 PM • 6 Comments •
Category: Medicine
Is paying $5/liter for Fiji water not cutting it? Trying to come up with a more environmentally abhorrent, gauche hydration accessory? How would you feel about $1,000/liter, along with some iffy health benefits?...
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Posted by Molecule of the Day at 11:59 PM • 11 Comments •
Category: Inorganic
Oscillating reactions are neat; I should write up one of my favorites sometime... Here, electrons flow from iron metal to mercury (I) sulfate to chromium (VI) oxide. Listen to the video for a step-by step explanation......
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Posted by Molecule of the Day at 3:36 PM • 4 Comments •
Category: Not Really a Molecule
A couple previous molecules of the day were in the news today: polylactide and lead chromate....
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Posted by Molecule of the Day at 9:04 PM • 1 Comments •
Category: Food
Phytic acid is an inositol derivative:...
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Posted by Molecule of the Day at 9:00 AM • 3 Comments •
Category: Food
Inositol is a sugar:...
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Posted by Molecule of the Day at 10:10 PM • 3 Comments •
Category: Stinky
As you go down the group, the smells only get worse. You don't smell oxygen (you're soaking in it), sulfur compounds tend to be pretty stinky, selenium compounds are pretty rank, and purportedly, tellurium compounds are the worst....
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Posted by Molecule of the Day at 9:00 AM • 6 Comments •
Category: Stinky
As far as I know, selenocysteine is the only reason you need selenium in your diet (which you almost certainly get enough of; the requirement is vanishingly small,...
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Posted by Molecule of the Day at 11:15 PM • 2 Comments •
Category: Drugs
As Uncle Al mentioned, many antioxidants are ill-tolerated by the liver. However, it loves one antioxidant: silibinin....
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Posted by Molecule of the Day at 9:00 AM • 2 Comments •
Category: Explosives
Benzoyl peroxide is funny. As a commenter mentioned yesterday, it's used in skin care....
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Posted by Molecule of the Day at 11:29 PM • 7 Comments •