Srsly, Guys, I Need an Icon of Science!
Aug. 5th, 2007 10:08 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tanarillFrames:
Beaker/test tube of red stuff
+
Beaker/test tube of glowy green stuff
=
Mushroom cloud
Yes.
And now for:
Imagine that you have some carbon atoms, say ten. Each C has four electrons, so there are forty electrons. If you stand the C in a line with one electron in each direction, those ones on the sides, closest to the other C, will start flirting and making friends with the other electrons and bonding. The C will bond in a line, like this:
C–C–C–C–C–C–C–C–C–C
Each pimp in the middle of the line now counts himself as having six hos: two in each bond, plus the two other hos. The pimps on the end only count five hos, the two in the bond and three not in bonds. But, as I said, C wants eight hos. What do they do?
Answer: go grab some hydrogen (H). Hydrogen atoms are kind of like those small, geeky kids who always sit in the back of class and you beat up on them, only if you go too far they are vicious. They always want to be player, but in the natural state H has only one electron, and she is, like all electrons, a skank. Now, imagine a H wanders toward your line of carbons.
Obviously, a bond forms. Where it forms depends on where the H was, but it will form between a C and the H. If you have twenty-two H, all possible bonds will form. The C-pimps on the end will be bonded to three H each, and the ones in the middle to two H each.
This is called a straight-chain saturated hydrocarbon*. In animal fats, they can get up to twenty carbons long, and one of the ends is attached to something that looks like the head of a hair comb (the hydrocarbons form the tines), but the idea is the same.
This is the kind of fat that makes up most of your obese gut, or hangs on your hips, or (if you are female) makes your boobs grow. In other words, it’s the kind you don’t want. Why not? Well, it all has to do with stacking. We’ve been talking as if this is two-dimension space, but it really isn’t. If you pull it out into 3D-space, the line zigzags:
/\/\/\/\/
And at each corner of a zig and zag is a C. I’ve drawn the same 10-C hydrocarbon we’ve been talking about. This is what chemists use as short hand. It’s assumed that unless otherwise stated, all C are attached to as many H as they can. They are saturated with H, hence “saturated hydrocarbon.”
When you have a whole lot of straight-chain saturated hydrocarbons (which zigzag in real life), they can spoon up to each other, like this:
|-/\/\/\/\/
|-/\/\/\/\/
|-/\/\/\/\/
This is essentially what a fat stored in your body looks like. I even drew in the “comb” that the fat attaches to. Depending on what the fat’s doing, the “comb” will look different. Typically, if the fat is sitting in your gut, it will only hold three long hydrocarbon chains and there will be hundreds and thousands of them in each cell. Fat-combs will stack with each other in 3D space, which they can do because in 3D the H take up space too. Your body is really only happy if it can get your fats to stack like this, and it will burn energy to make sure that they can.
What can stop hydrocarbons from being able to stack neatly? Well, it looks like it’s time to move on to . . .
*You may have noticed that this straight chain isn't straight. More on this in a minute.
Questions always appreciated.
Beaker/test tube of red stuff
+
Beaker/test tube of glowy green stuff
=
Mushroom cloud
Yes.
And now for:
Imagine that you have some carbon atoms, say ten. Each C has four electrons, so there are forty electrons. If you stand the C in a line with one electron in each direction, those ones on the sides, closest to the other C, will start flirting and making friends with the other electrons and bonding. The C will bond in a line, like this:
C–C–C–C–C–C–C–C–C–C
Each pimp in the middle of the line now counts himself as having six hos: two in each bond, plus the two other hos. The pimps on the end only count five hos, the two in the bond and three not in bonds. But, as I said, C wants eight hos. What do they do?
Answer: go grab some hydrogen (H). Hydrogen atoms are kind of like those small, geeky kids who always sit in the back of class and you beat up on them, only if you go too far they are vicious. They always want to be player, but in the natural state H has only one electron, and she is, like all electrons, a skank. Now, imagine a H wanders toward your line of carbons.
Obviously, a bond forms. Where it forms depends on where the H was, but it will form between a C and the H. If you have twenty-two H, all possible bonds will form. The C-pimps on the end will be bonded to three H each, and the ones in the middle to two H each.
This is called a straight-chain saturated hydrocarbon*. In animal fats, they can get up to twenty carbons long, and one of the ends is attached to something that looks like the head of a hair comb (the hydrocarbons form the tines), but the idea is the same.
This is the kind of fat that makes up most of your obese gut, or hangs on your hips, or (if you are female) makes your boobs grow. In other words, it’s the kind you don’t want. Why not? Well, it all has to do with stacking. We’ve been talking as if this is two-dimension space, but it really isn’t. If you pull it out into 3D-space, the line zigzags:
/\/\/\/\/
And at each corner of a zig and zag is a C. I’ve drawn the same 10-C hydrocarbon we’ve been talking about. This is what chemists use as short hand. It’s assumed that unless otherwise stated, all C are attached to as many H as they can. They are saturated with H, hence “saturated hydrocarbon.”
When you have a whole lot of straight-chain saturated hydrocarbons (which zigzag in real life), they can spoon up to each other, like this:
|-/\/\/\/\/
|-/\/\/\/\/
|-/\/\/\/\/
This is essentially what a fat stored in your body looks like. I even drew in the “comb” that the fat attaches to. Depending on what the fat’s doing, the “comb” will look different. Typically, if the fat is sitting in your gut, it will only hold three long hydrocarbon chains and there will be hundreds and thousands of them in each cell. Fat-combs will stack with each other in 3D space, which they can do because in 3D the H take up space too. Your body is really only happy if it can get your fats to stack like this, and it will burn energy to make sure that they can.
What can stop hydrocarbons from being able to stack neatly? Well, it looks like it’s time to move on to . . .
*You may have noticed that this straight chain isn't straight. More on this in a minute.
Questions always appreciated.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2007-08-06 02:59 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-08-06 10:58 am (UTC)(Why no, I don't like moobs. Why do you ask?)
no subject
Date: 2007-08-06 07:51 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-08-06 04:19 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-08-06 04:20 pm (UTC)Maybe. I'm not sure.