Thursday, August 02, 2007

UH OK

Scientific American: Ask the Experts: Biology: Why do apple slices turn brown after being cut?: "Why do apple slices turn brown after being cut? A. Suraya; Guntur, India
Lynne McLandsborough, a professor of food science at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, explains this oft-observed kitchen conundrum:
When an apple is cut (or bruised), oxygen is introduced into the injured plant tissue. When oxygen is present in cells, polyphenol oxidase (PPO) enzymes in the chloroplasts rapidly oxidize phenolic compounds naturally present in the apple tissues to o-quinones, colorless precursors to brown-colored secondary products. O-quinones then produce the well documented brown color by reacting to form compounds with amino acids or proteins, or they self-assemble to make polymers."
I guess that's why she's the expert and I'm not.

_/\_/\_

4 comments:

  1. Brainball is Chairman Mao's sister. She's a big furry orange Alpha Cat. Her gottcha day is the day she was adopted becuase no one knows her real birthday.

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  2. Um...right, I'll take her word for it.

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  3. Giggle! Uh...not sure I wanted to go back to school today! lol! It's too early in the morning!

    Hmmm...well..bad to stumble ourselves? I wander why....see if I can find what that guys says...but that's why we need to find friends to stumble us...let me see if I can find a post here...giggle.

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