Cool factoid for the amateur-geekishly inclined #239487029384 and 5
Perms!
Hair is made of protein. And some proteins contain sulfur molecules. And some of these proteins are able to make strong sulfur-sulfur bonds between them, which cause the proteins to form a different specific 3D shape than they would otherwise. These bonds are called di-sulfide linkages, and they look like this: ...-S-S-...
Anyway, this collection of protein structures and bonds and whatnot give our hair its shape.
So what do perms do? 2 steps.
Step 1: they break these di-sulfide bonds by reducing them (the one molecule breaks at the bond giving two molecules of ...-SH), thus causing the hair to relax its shape. With rollers set, the hair is ready to be reshaped.
Step 2: they reform those di-sulfide bonds by oxidizing them (they lose their end H atoms and reform the ...-S-S-... link), and the hair reshapes itself in its new roller-induced form.
SO COOL!
Factoid number 2: Our oxygen-carrying molecules in our red blood cells are called hemoglobin, yes? And hemoglobin is a type of respiratory pigment. Pigment? Color? Wha?
Yes! Iron is a component of hemoglobin, and it is the iron that gives our blood its red-ish color. Some other species use hemocyanin instead of hemoglobin, and that involves the use of copper in the place of iron, thus giving their blood its blue-ish color.
SO COOL!
On a more serious note: a PSA and request. Read up on various fluidy goop/organ donations if you haven't already. Ponder, and inform your family/loved ones. And by "inform," I don't mean "wait until it comes up."
And, I think I have the coolest hospital volunteer job ever conceived by man.
Hair is made of protein. And some proteins contain sulfur molecules. And some of these proteins are able to make strong sulfur-sulfur bonds between them, which cause the proteins to form a different specific 3D shape than they would otherwise. These bonds are called di-sulfide linkages, and they look like this: ...-S-S-...
Anyway, this collection of protein structures and bonds and whatnot give our hair its shape.
So what do perms do? 2 steps.
Step 1: they break these di-sulfide bonds by reducing them (the one molecule breaks at the bond giving two molecules of ...-SH), thus causing the hair to relax its shape. With rollers set, the hair is ready to be reshaped.
Step 2: they reform those di-sulfide bonds by oxidizing them (they lose their end H atoms and reform the ...-S-S-... link), and the hair reshapes itself in its new roller-induced form.
SO COOL!
Factoid number 2: Our oxygen-carrying molecules in our red blood cells are called hemoglobin, yes? And hemoglobin is a type of respiratory pigment. Pigment? Color? Wha?
Yes! Iron is a component of hemoglobin, and it is the iron that gives our blood its red-ish color. Some other species use hemocyanin instead of hemoglobin, and that involves the use of copper in the place of iron, thus giving their blood its blue-ish color.
SO COOL!
On a more serious note: a PSA and request. Read up on various fluidy goop/organ donations if you haven't already. Ponder, and inform your family/loved ones. And by "inform," I don't mean "wait until it comes up."
And, I think I have the coolest hospital volunteer job ever conceived by man.