pleasurable that I would often request the banana medicine after my infection went away. I would say the taste was even better than banana Runts, and everyone agrees that they were by far the best Runts of the bunch.So how does flavouring work? To find out, we need to delve deeply into organic chemistry. The flavour of chemicals relies heavily on different functional groups, like alcohols (OH), esters (RCOOR), and aldehydes (RCHO). Look at the structure of cinnamon to see an example of an aldehyde.
Functional groups are not the only thing that determines taste, though. The 3D placement of atoms can also affect flavour. Take spearmint as an example. This classic Wrigley's gum flavour comes from a slightly complex molecule called R-(-)-Carvone. Yummy. However, if you reposition one hydrogen atom, you change the taste completely to make a licorice/carroway seed flavour (S-(+)-carvone). These two molecules are called enantiomers because they differ in the 3D orientation around only one carbon.
Enantiomers have become a major focus in organic chemistry ever since the drug thalidomide was used with disastrous results. This newly designed drug was given to pregnant mothers in the 50's and 60's to relieve nausea, but the drug was prepared as a racemic mixture (meaning both enantiomers were mixed together). They soon found out that one of the two enantiomers was responsible for reducing morning sickness while the other one caused birth defects. Many babies were born without limbs or with neurological defects.
Since then, the FDA has become very strict about molecules that have enantiomers, being very careful to test each one separately and ensuring that companies make pure preparations.
3 comments:
When I was little, my mom had to sit on me to make me take that banana medicine. I remember just being so scared it would taste gross. And after she forced it down my throat I remember saying "mmm that's not bad"
Banana has always been a fave flavour of mine.
As a little transplanted French-Canadian I also too had many ear infections and have fond memories about Banana antibiotics. I must admit I also found it strange that you thought the bannana runts were the best tasting as well. I wonder if this has anything to do with the secret and devious bannana brain washing we were subjected to when we took those very same antibiotics.
"I would say the taste was even better than banana Runts, and everyone agrees that they were by far the best Runts of the bunch."
Everyone? I doubt it. How about they were the grossest Runts of the bunch? The pink ones tasted the best! I would never eat the banana ones! Yuck. You should do more research next time before posting such an all encompassing statment on your blog.
You banana-flavor loving people are those same weird kids who ate those big banana marshmallow candies, aren't you? Sickos.
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