Chemistry

21 ideas, each explained on one page with a 60-second lesson you can play right there.

Acids in wine Wine contains organic acids like tartaric and malic that shape its taste, protect it from bacteria, and can form harmless crystals on the cork.
Alcohol by volume Alcohol by volume measures the ethanol in a beverage, defined by pure ethanol volume over total solution volume at 20 °C.
Antigen An antigen is any molecule that can latch onto a specific immune receptor or antibody, acting like a chemical identifier.
Assay An assay is a laboratory test that detects or measures a specific target substance, called an analyte, in a sample.
Bioluminescence Bioluminescence is the production of light by a living organism through a chemical reaction.
Capsaicin Capsaicin is the chemical compound that gives chili peppers their heat by triggering heat receptors in mammals while leaving birds unaffected.
Chemotherapy Chemotherapy is a systemic cancer treatment that uses drugs to disrupt cell division and trigger cell death.
Creatine Creatine is an organic compound that your body uses to rapidly recycle ATP, the molecule cells consume for energy.
Dopamine Dopamine is a chemical messenger that nerve cells use to communicate with one another.
Entropy Entropy is a measure of how widely energy in a system spreads out and becomes unavailable to do useful work.
Fermentation Fermentation is a chemical process where cells break down sugars to make energy without using oxygen.
IC50 IC50 measures how much of a drug is needed to inhibit a biological target by 50 percent, acting as a core metric for inhibitor potency.
Lactate dehydrogenase Lactate dehydrogenase is an enzyme found in almost all living cells that converts pyruvate into lactate and back again.
Oak (wine) Oak is a type of wood used during winemaking to alter the color, texture, tannin profile, and flavor of wine.
Piperine Piperine is a plant compound known as an alkaloid that gives black and long pepper their pungent bite.
Protein (nutrient) Protein breaks down into amino acids to build tissue and enzymes.
Rapamycin Rapamycin is a bacterial compound that inhibits mTOR, halts cell division, stops transplant rejection, and is studied for extending lifespan.
Scoville Scale The Scoville scale is a measurement system that rates the heat of chili peppers in units called Scoville Heat Units (SHU).
Sweetness of wine How residual sugar, acids, and alcohol determine wine sweetness, from legal dry limits to dessert styles like Tokaji and Sauternes.
Tannins Tannins are large, astringent biomolecules produced by plants that bind to proteins and force them out of solution.
Wine fault A wine fault is an unpleasant smell, taste, or appearance in a wine caused by chemical reactions or microbial spoilage.