Chemistry For Your Life cover image

Why do lobsters turn red? (when we cook them)

Chemistry For Your Life

00:00

Why Isn't the Lobster Red Before?

The reason that lobsters ternet is because this pigment is bound by a protein. Up until the early two thousand chemists actually didn't have an answer as to why that happened. For things to be visible to us, their electrons have to be able to absorb energy and be excited into an energy level within the visible region. And different features about the molecule itself will dictate how those electrons can absorb energy which determines what we what color we see.

Play episode from 06:40
Transcript

The AI-powered Podcast Player

Save insights by tapping your headphones, chat with episodes, discover the best highlights - and more!
App store bannerPlay store banner
Get the app