logo
episode-header-image
Jul 2024
26m 58s

Why do apples turn brown when we cut the...

Melissa and Jam, Bleav
About this episode

#035 Rebroadcast

Do you like apples? Ever wonder why they turn brown when you cut them? This week, Melissa and Jam explore this very question. What's going on in these apples? Where does the brown come from? Is it a good or bad thing? Does it taste different? Is the brown actually apple tears from the pain of being cut? And how do you like them apples?

 

References from this episode

  1. Science Experiment: The Brown Apple Project - 4-H
  2. Purification and Characterization of Polyphenol Oxidase from Banana (Musa sapientum L.) Pulp - Chang-Peng YangShuji FujitaMD AshrafuzzamanNaoko NakamuraNobuyuki Hayashi
  3. Nonbrowning GM apple cleared for market - Emily Waltz, Nature Biotechnology
  4. Why Do Avocados Turn Brown? – The Chemistry of Avocados - Compound Chemistry
  5. Browning Inhibition in Fresh-cut ‘Fuji’ Apple Slices by Natural Anti-browning Agents
  6. Inhibition of Apple-Slice Browning by 4-Hexylresorcinol - Yaguang LuoGustavo and Barbosa-Cánovas
  7. Department Of Agriculture Approves First Genetically Modified Apple, Which Resists Turning Brown - Britt E. Erickson, Chemical & Engineering News
Find us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @ChemForYourLife. Email us at chemforyourlife@gmail.com And check out our chill, simple little website at https://chemforyourlife.transistor.fm/

Thanks to our monthly supporters

  • Ciara Linville
  • J0HNTR0Y
  • Jeannette Napoleon
  • Cullyn R
  • Erica Bee
  • Elizabeth P
  • Sarah Moar
  • Rachel Reina
  • Letila
  • Katrina Barnum-Huckins
  • Suzanne Phillips
  • Nelly Silva
  • 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 cool chemistry merch! ★
Up next
Today
What is the chemistry of film photography?
Melissa and Jam delve into the fascinating chemistry behind film photography. They reminisce about their childhood experiences with analog cameras and discuss the shift to digital cameras. Melissa, a chemist, explains the complex chemical processes involved in capturing and devel ... Show More
55m 28s
Jul 3
What gives curly hair its curl?
#027 Rebroadcast Originally Published January 23, 2020 This week, Melissa and Jam dive into the chemistry of something that may not seem like chemistry at first: hair. Curly hair to be specific. What makes hair curl? Also what is hair in the first place? Why can hair be so radica ... Show More
28m 18s
Jun 26
Are organic vegetables healthier for you?
Melissa and Jam dive into the definition and implications of organic foods. They explore what organic means according to USDA standards, dissect common misconceptions about pesticide use, and discuss whether organic produce is actually healthier. This detailed analysis includes M ... Show More
57m 52s
Recommended Episodes
Sep 2024
Shiny: Why we are dazzled by new sparkly things
This week, Apple releases the new iPhone 16. It's new, it's shiny, and tech-nerds will be queueing round the block for a chance to snap it up. But why? We look at the science behind why we get so dazzled with new and shiny things.We hear about the psychology behind our magpie ten ... Show More
49m 30s
Jun 11
What ‘Immortal’ Jellyfish and Famously Old Tortoises Tell Us about Aging
Animals’ lifespans can be far shorter or much longer than those of humans. Scientists are researching creatures such as “immortal” jellyfish and long-lived tortoises and digging deep into genetic codes to figure out why animals age—and what we can do to improve longevity in human ... Show More
14m 27s
Jun 11
What ‘Immortal’ Jellyfish and Famously Old Tortoises Tell Us about Aging
Animals’ lifespans can be far shorter or much longer than those of humans. Scientists are researching creatures such as “immortal” jellyfish and long-lived tortoises and digging deep into genetic codes to figure out why animals age—and what we can do to improve longevity in human ... Show More
14m 27s
May 21
Do Mitochondria Talk to Each Other? A New Look at the Cell’s Powerhouse
Mitochondria are known as the powerhouse of the cell—but new research suggests they might be far more complex. Columbia University’s Martin Picard joins Scientific American’s Rachel Feltman to explore how these tiny organelles could be communicating and what that might mean for e ... Show More
27m 4s
Jun 2024
The Potato Show
Consider the potato. The typical potato is not all that pretty. They can be beige and lumpy, dusty and speckled, and on top of that, they even sprout alien-like tentacles. Further, no one really knows what to make of the potato. Is it a vegetable, or so starchy that we should rea ... Show More
35m 8s
Sep 2024
PRETTY CURIOUS | Did TikTok Make Me Buy It? With Jill Dunn & Carlene Hggins
We have the incredible hosts of the Breaking Beauty Podcast on Pretty Curious today - Jill Dunn & Carlene Higgins! We’re going all in on the behemoth, the almighty…TikTok Shop. Plus - they dropped some some amaaaaazing #DamnGood product recommendations you won’t want to miss. Jil ... Show More
45m 33s
Feb 2025
Where Did Curly Hair Come From? Biological Anthropology May Provide Insights
It’s fairly strange that humans, unlike many other mammals, don’t have hair all over. Our lack of body hair and wide geographic distribution led to the variation of sun-protective melanin in our skin. For the hair that remains, why did some groups develop curls while others did n ... Show More
18m 46s
Feb 2025
Where Did Curly Hair Come From? Biological Anthropology May Provide Insights
It’s fairly strange that humans, unlike many other mammals, don’t have hair all over. Our lack of body hair and wide geographic distribution led to the variation of sun-protective melanin in our skin. For the hair that remains, why did some groups develop curls while others did n ... Show More
18m 46s
Jan 2025
Forever Fresh
We eat apples in the summer and enjoy bananas in the winter. When we do this, we go against the natural order of life which is towards death and decay. What gives? This week, Latif Nasser spoke with Nicola Twilley, the author of Frostbite: How Refrigeration Changed Our Food, Our ... Show More
28m 44s
Aug 2024
Sun, sea... and science
It’s election time but over here in Science Land, we’re heading off to the seaside for our summer special. We chat seagulls with Professor Paul Graham on Brighton beach and find out why they are so misunderstood - from what we call them to why they pinch our chips. We bust some s ... Show More
28m 4s