Molecules in daily life

  Chemistry is everywhere, and it is an essential part of our world. So let’s look up some molecules in our daily lives!

  Here come the molecules in chocolate—phenylethylamine, tryptophan, and theobromine. Scientists used to believe that phenylethylamine and tryptophan make us feeling good after having some chocolate, however, latest research suggested that it could only be a placebo effect since these compounds would undergo metabolism(代謝) when we consume them. Theobromine is harmful to dogs, so never let your dog try chocolate!

  There are countless kinds of smell in our lives, have you ever wonder what molecules are interacting with your nose? Let’s consider the scent of flowers first. Here’s a list of compounds behind the smell of flowers:

  Another interesting topic is the smell of books. The distinct aroma of new books comes from the inks, papers, and adhesives while that of old books comes from oxidation products of polymers which make up the papers.

  Do you remember the refreshing smell after rain? It is caused by the compound geosmin and volatile fat molecules, as shown below. By contrast, the beyond-description smell before rain is arisen from ozone.

    All information is retrieved from http://www.compoundchem.com/ .You can also search “compound interest” on FB to follow their pages. The website talk about the chemistry behind everything in our lives, and it is really worth reading!