Happy #Halloween! Forget tricks, here's a treat in the form of a short thread of halloween chemistry... 🧵
First up, pumpkins! Carotenes give pumpkins their orange colour, and various aroma compounds contribute to the vegetal smell as you carve them, as this graphic in @cenmag details: cen.acs.org/articles/93/i4…
Did you know pumpkin seeds also contain a compound that fluoresces if extracted? Crushing them with nail varnish remover gives an extract that glows red-orange in UV light, thanks to the chlorophyll precursor protochlorophyllide 🎃
Moving on, fake blood is an essential #Halloween accessory – here's the chemistry behind the substance it aims to mimic: compoundchem.com/2015/10/29/blo…
Blood doesn't just come in red. Blue, green and violet are all possible too! This graphic explains: compoundchem.com/2014/10/28/col…
Blood cells are produced by our bone marrow. The latest edition of #PeriodicGraphics in @cenmag looks at what our bones are made of and the roles they perform in our bodies: cen.acs.org/biological-che…
What about when our bodies start breaking down? This graphic looks at the compounds behind the smell of decomposition: compoundchem.com/2014/10/30/dec…
Preventing decomposition was the aim of mummification – this graphic looks at some of the chemistry involved in embalming: compoundchem.com/2016/10/27/mum…
Finally, if that's all got you a bit spooked, here's the science of fear in @cenmag: cen.acs.org/biological-che…
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