1Penguinone
Penguinone is an organic chemical compound. Its name is derived from the fact that its molecular structure resembles a penguin.
2. The four artificial sweeteners that are used the most, Saccharine, Cyclamate, Aspartame, and Sucralose, were all discovered when scientists accidentally tasted the chemicals.
3. There is a compound named Erythritol, which tastes like sugar, but doesn’t affect blood sugar levels, or causes tooth decay. It also has 95% less calories than sugar.
4. Cadaverine is a toxic chemical formed by dead tissue breaking down. It is the source of the corpse smell and it also gives semen its taste.
5. Potatoes contain toxic compounds known as glycoalkaloids, the most prevalent of which are solanine and chaconine. Glycoalkaloid poisoning may cause headaches, diarrhea, cramps, and, in severe cases, coma and death. Poisoning from cultivated potato varieties, however, is very rare.
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6Solotone
Fenugreek contains an extremely potent aromatic compound called solotone. When consumed in heavy amounts, it can cause a sweet maple-y odor in sweat and urine.
7. Beer Hops naturally produce an acid that can kill off a parasitic mite known to annihilate entire colonies of bees. Hops have shown such promise in helping Colony Collapse Disorder, that the EPA has even approved their use as a biochemical miticide.
8. Orthocarbonic Acid is also known as “Hitler’s Acid” because its molecular geometry resembles a swastika.
9. GenX is a known toxic chemical which is being added onto non-stick pans, after a similar toxic chemical PFOA was banned, as it was causing cancers and birth defects in human population.
10. Nitrogen trichloride, a.k.a. trichloramine, is responsible for that common swimming pool smell. This yellow, oily, pungent-smelling and explosive liquid is most commonly encountered as a byproduct of chemical reactions between ammonia-derivatives and chlorine (byproduct of urine/sweat and chlorine).
11Butyric Acid
Butyric acid is an oily, colorless liquid with an unpleasant odor. It is found in animal fat and plant oils, bovine milk, breast milk, butter, parmesan cheese, body odor, and vomit.
12. NaCl is the chemical formula for table salt. It does not actually describe the chemical formula of a molecule. It is actually the ratio of sodium atoms to chlorine atoms in a sodium chloride crystal.
13. In 1800, chemists working with willow bark extracts discovered that salicylic acid present in it is responsible for its analgesic (pain-reducing) and antipyretic (fever-reducing) effects. In 1893, a German chemist converted salicylic acid to its less acidic ester, known as Aspirin.
14. The smell of the air after a storm is caused by Geosmin. It is a chemical compound released by dead soil bacteria. Humans are hypersensitive to it, capable of detecting it at a concentration of 5 parts per trillion. It is theorized that in our evolutionary past this helped us seek out water.
15. Citric Acid which is one of the most common food additives (used in sodas, ice cream, processed sweets, cider, baby food), is usually not made from lemons. It is made by feeding sugar to black mold through an industrial process.
16Monstera Deliciosa
The scientific name of the fruit Monstera Deliciosa literally means Delicious Monster. It can cause severe throat and skin irritation unless it is 100% ripe, due to the presence of oxalic acid (a.k.a. rust cleaner) in the unripe fruit. Once its green outer scales fall off, it is safe to eat and tastes like a mix of pineapple, banana, and coconut.
17. The signature “Old Person Smell” is actually caused by a chemical compound called 2-nonenal. Odor emitted by humans undergoes distinct stages based on chemical changes initiated through the aging process.
18. The name of the popular soft drink ‘7 Up’ was derived from the atomic mass of Lithium which is 7. 7 Up contained a chemical compound called Lithium Citrate, which is a known anti-depressant and mood stabilizer.
19. Though Nutmeg is a common cooking spice known for its warm flavor and sweet taste, it contains a hallucinogenic compound called myristicin. Consumption of 15 g of grounded nutmeg is enough to cause hallucinations, dizziness and memory impairment.
20. Lead Acid batteries can produce Hydrogen Sulphide gas (H2S). It is poisonous, flammable, and smells like rotten eggs. Most cars have lead-acid batteries, including electric cars.
21Sporopollenin
Sporopollenin is one of the toughest natural biopolymers in the world. It is so resistant that it can't be studied using normal enzymes or chemical reagents, and it can stay intact in sediment for more than 500 million years.
22. The world's strongest superacid is fluoroantimonic acid (HSbF6). It has a pH of -31.3 and it is 100,000 billion billion billion times more potent than stomach acid. This makes it extremely corrosive. It releases highly toxic vapors and can dissolve all organic compounds such as everything in a human body in few seconds.
23. Resiniferatoxin is a chemical compound that’s 1000 times hotter than capsaicin. It is a naturally occurring chemical that’s found in cacti. Ingestion of it can cause severe swelling, permanent loss of sensation, serious injury, or even death.
24. 2,4-Dinitrophenol (DNP) is an organic compound which causes rapid weight loss in humans. It’s being studied as a potential treatment for obesity, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s diseases, and epilepsy. In the 1930s, it was prescribed to 100,000 people in the US. It was discontinued after 2 people used 10 times the recommended dose and died.
25. A chemical element called Americium was originally named Pandemonium due to the difficulty in its discovery and because Pandemonium meant Hell (its Greek word origin and the capital of Hell in Milton’s “Paradise Lost”). Today, Americium’s most common use is in smoke detectors to detect fire.
