

Chemistry For Your Life
Melissa and Jam, Bleav
A podcast that helps you understand the fascinating chemistry hidden in your everyday life.
Have you ever wondered why onions make you cry? Or how soap gets your hands clean? What really is margarine, or why do trees change colors in the fall? Melissa is a chemist, and to answer these questions she started a podcast, called Chemistry for your life!
In each episode Melissa explains the chemistry behind one of life’s mysteries to Jam, who is definitely not a chemist, but she explains it in a way that is easy to understand, and totally fascinating.
If you’re someone who loves learning new things, or who wonders about the way the world works, then give us a listen.
Have you ever wondered why onions make you cry? Or how soap gets your hands clean? What really is margarine, or why do trees change colors in the fall? Melissa is a chemist, and to answer these questions she started a podcast, called Chemistry for your life!
In each episode Melissa explains the chemistry behind one of life’s mysteries to Jam, who is definitely not a chemist, but she explains it in a way that is easy to understand, and totally fascinating.
If you’re someone who loves learning new things, or who wonders about the way the world works, then give us a listen.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Dec 8, 2022 • 35min
Why do foods turn brown when we cook them?
#017 Rebroadcast
This week Melissa and Jam explore some of the chemistry behind cooking. What happens when you sear a steak? What's going on when you toast toast? Why do so many foods turn golden-brown when cooking? Let's dig in.
References from this episode
Control of Maillard Reactions in Foods: Strategies and Chemical Mechanisms - Marianne N. Lund, and Colin A. Ray
https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2012/10/10/162636059/100-years-ago-maillard-taught-us-why-our-food-tastes-better-cooked
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/maillard-reaction
R.V. Hedegaard, L.H. Skibsted, in Handbook of Food Powders, 2013
Baking, Ageing, Diabetes: A Short History of the Maillard Reaction, Michael Hellwig and Thomas Henle
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 ★

Dec 1, 2022 • 31min
What is gluten?
#149
Gluten. Public enemy number one. If you're gluten intolerant that is. But what is gluten? Why is it in bread? What does it do in bread? Let's find out.
References from this episode
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17008153/
https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/10/6/617
https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/education/resources/highschool/chemmatters/past-issues/archive-2011-2012/gluten.html#:~:text=Gluten%20is%20composed%20of%20two,hydrogen%20bonds%20with%20each%20other.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17008153/
Check out our website at chemforyourlife.com
Find us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @ChemForYourLife.
We love using Transistor to host our podcast -> Check it out to be sure your podcast makes a bang.
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 ★

Nov 24, 2022 • 39min
Bonus: Is honey mustard a polymer? (and other questions)
Bonus Episode: Question and Response 37
In this month's bonus episode, Melissa and Jam respond to comments and questions about regulation of scented products, being a parent and getting a PhD, condiments as non-newtonian fluids, adhesive removers, and more!
References from this Episode
https://www-sciencedirect-com.libproxy.library.unt.edu/topics/food-science/molasses
Want to start your own podcast? Use Transistor and you'll have the best podcast platform available. We use it and we are totally in love with it.
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 ★

Nov 17, 2022 • 53min
How can mosquitos smell you? (new research!)
#148
How can mosquitoes sense us? And do they prefer some people over others? This is a question we've pursued across several episodes of the podcast in the past, but now there's some brand new research that addresses this question! Let's check it out together.
How to start a podcast. <- Check this out if you've got a podcast idea you want to make happen!
References from this episode
https://cen.acs.org/biological-chemistry/chemical-communication/Mosquito-magnet-s-chemical-reason/100/web/2022/10?utm_source=Essential&utm_medium=Newsletter&utm_campaign=CEN
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2022.09.034
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-03281-8
Check out our website at chemforyourlife.com
Find us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @ChemForYourLife.
And seriously, we love using Transistor. Check it out to be sure your podcast makes a bang.
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 ★

Nov 10, 2022 • 28min
Why do mosquitos bite people?
#051 Rebroadcast
This week, Melissa and Jam begin a multi-faceted topic: mosquitos. Now of course mosquitos are insects, so studying them would mostly fall into biology. But there's a lot of chemistry here too. The first question, why do mosquitos bite humans at all? How do they find us, and why do they want to bother us? And perhaps more importantly, how is it related to chemistry? Let's find out.
References from this episode
Mosquito Life Cycle - United States Centers For Disease Control
Aedes aegypti Mosquitoes Detect Acidic Volatiles Found in Human Odor Using the IR8a Pathway - Current Biology - Joshua I. Raji, Nadia Melo, John S. Castillo, Sheyla Gonzalez, Valeria Saldana, Marcus C. Stensmyr, Matthew DeGennaro
Mosquitoes detect human sweat by sniffing for volatile acids - Chemical & Engineering News - Alla Katsnelson
Multimodal Integration of Carbon Dioxide and Other Sensory Cues Drives Mosquito Attraction to Humans - Cell - Conor J. McMeniman, Román A. Corfas, Benjamin J. Matthews, Scott A. Ritchie, Leslie B. Vosshall
Find us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @ChemForYourLife.
Email us at chemforyourlife@gmail.com
And check out our chill, simple little website at chemforyourlife.com
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 ★

Nov 3, 2022 • 34min
How do trick candles reignite?
#147
Maybe you've experienced them yourself, maybe you've just heard of them, but trick candles are real, they are chemistry, they are kinda dangerous, and they are mean. Let's get into it.
How to start a podcast. <- Check this out if you've got a podcast idea you want to make happen!
References from this episode
https://cen.acs.org/articles/88/i32/Trick-Candles.html?PageSpeed=noscript#:~:text=In%20a%20trick%20candle%2C%20magnesium,magnesium%20powder%2C%20producing%20tiny%20sparks.
Characterization of Candle Flames ANTHONY HAMINS* AND MATTHEW BUNDY
https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/healthy-living/your-health/products/candle-safety.html
https://youtu.be/B9asozzeAwY
https://www.asminternational.org/documents/10192/18497580/amp17205p28.pdf
https://www.rsc.org/periodic-table/element/12/magnesium
https://digitalcommons.njit.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1201&context=theses
Check out our website at chemforyourlife.com
Find us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @ChemForYourLife.
And seriously, we love using Transistor. Check it out to be sure your podcast makes a bang.
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 ★

Oct 27, 2022 • 33min
Bonus: How did Bella Hadid's spray-on dress work? (and other questions)
Bonus Episode: Question and Response 36
In this month's bonus episode, Melissa and Jam respond to comments and questions about raw garlic burns, Bella Hadid's dress, carbon monoxide poisoning, and more!
References from this Episode
https://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/16/science/not-for-the-faint-of-mouth-why-garlic-packs-such-a-wallop.html#:~:text=It%20turns%20out%20that%20garlic,chili%20peppers%20and%20wasabi%20mustard.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28390650/
https://onlinelibrary-wiley-com.libproxy.library.unt.edu/doi/10.1111/scd.12605
Want to start your own podcast? Use Transistor and you'll have the best podcast platform available. We use it and we are totally in love with it.
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 ★

Oct 20, 2022 • 44min
Do nasal decongestants even work?
#146
When we are sick and super congested, many of us go to the store to pick up a decongestant. But what if some decongestants DON'T EVEN WORK, like at all? Wouldn't that be frustrating? Well we're sorry to say, it's true. Some "decongestants" are essentially ineffective against congestion? Why? Why are they even sold? Why are they even called decongestants then? Let's talk about this big mess.
How to start a podcast. <- Check this out if you've got a podcast idea you want to make happen!
References from this episode
https://www-science-org.libproxy.library.unt.edu/content/blog-post/uselessness-phenylephrine
https://extension.usu.edu/rangeplants/shrubs-and-trees/EphedraGreen
https://www-sciencedirect-com.libproxy.library.unt.edu/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/ephedra-plant
https://www.compoundchem.com/2015/01/06/decongestants/
https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/molecule-of-the-week/archive/p/pseudoephedrine.html
https://www-sciencedirect-com.libproxy.library.unt.edu/science/article/abs/pii/S0065291108601642?via%3Dihub
https://pharmacy.ufl.edu/2015/10/14/uf-researchers-ask-fda-to-remove-non-prescription-decongestant-from-the-market/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK534801/#:~:text=The%20FDA%2Dapproved%20indication%20for,as%20septic%20shock%20or%20anesthesia.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8174445/
https://www.regulations.gov/docket/FDA-2015-P-4131/document
https://extension.usu.edu/rangeplants/shrubs-and-trees/EphedraGreen
https://www-ncbi-nlm-nih-gov.libproxy.library.unt.edu/pmc/articles/PMC8152226/
https://www.jacionline.org/article/S0091-6749(06)00633-6/fulltext
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/
And seriously, we love using Transistor. Check it out to be sure your podcast makes a bang.
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 ★

Oct 13, 2022 • 30min
What even is sunscreen and how does it screen the sun?
#013 Rebroadcast
This week Melissa and Jam explore the chemistry of not being burned by the big, ominous, flaming ball of radioactive insanity that lights up our skies each day. Did you know that to some people, radiation burns are no big deal? ¯_(ツ)_/¯ It's actually a very big deal and the sun is constantly trying to kill us all. Save yourselves.
References from this episode
Organic Chemistry Textbook, Edition 11 - T.W. Graham Solomons
Chemistry, Edition 2, Openstax - Paul Flowers, Klaus Theopold, Richard Langley, and William R. Robinson
Wikipedia references for SPF
American Academy of Dermatology FAQs
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 ★

Oct 6, 2022 • 48min
The most toxic substance to humans? (It’s basically botox)
#145
Today we're talking about the most toxic substance known to humans, and yet it also happens to be a substance that many people willingly inject into their bodies. It's Botox! Why is it so toxic to humans, and how did we come to the decision to inject it into out bodies, and why doesn't it hurt us?
How to start a podcast. <- Check this out if you've got a podcast idea you want to make happen!
References from this episode
https://cen.acs.org/articles/83/i25/Botox.html
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2856357/
https://www.chemistryworld.com/podcasts/botox/6392.article
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/botulism
https://cen.acs.org/biological-chemistry/neuroscience/Injections-botulinum-conjugate-relieves-chronic/96/i31
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/
And seriously, we love using Transistor. Check it out to be sure your podcast makes a bang.
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 ★