thanatochemistry general stuff Flashcards
examples of physical properties
- things that can be observed
- state
- solubility
- color
- density
- odor
- taste
- conductivity
what is constantly in motion
atoms
what is the movement of atoms called
heat
the ___ the temperature, the ___ the atoms vibrate
higher and faster
the atoms that make up gas have
very little cohesion
examples of chemical properties
- one materials ability to react with other atoms to produce new material
- flammability
- coagulation
- decomposition
- reactivity with formaldehyde
- neutralization
protons
- positive charge
- in nucleus
- give the atoms its atomic #
neutrons
- no charge/neutral
- in nucleus
- equal amount as protons except with isotopes
electrons
- negative charge
- in orbitals
- same # as protons
protons and electrons have a mass of
1 amu (atomic mass unit)
you get the atomic mass of an atom by
adding protons and neutrons
substances composed of one type of atoms are
elements
groups are ___ in the periodic table
columns
periods are ___ in the periodic table
rows
alkali metals are in …
group 1
alkaline metals are in …
group 2
halogens are in …
group 7
noble gases are in …
group 8
what is a mixture
combination of 2 or more substances not chemically united and in no definite proportion by mass
colloidal solutes can ___ but not ___
can pass through man made filters but not through membranes like capillaries
explain how osmosis is used in embalming with fluids
your arterial solution should be hypertonic (high solute/low solvent) so that when it enters the vascular system and gets to the capillaries it can, by osmosis, draw in the extra moisture in the tissues since its hypotonic (low solute/high solvent) into the capillaries while the dissolved solutes can pass out into the tissues
what is responsible for acidity
H+ (a single proton)
ex. if a sample of water has a concentration of 10^-7 what is its pH
pH = 7
what is the typical pH of human remains
7.35- 7.45
which is stronger inorganic acids or organic acids
inorganic acids
whats the organic base of interest to embalmers
ammonia / NH3
when a molecule only contains carbon and hydrogen its called
hydrocarbon
difference between alkane, alkene, and alkyne
- alkane = when the carbons in a hydrocarbon chain are only single bonded together
- alkene = when the carbons are double bonded
- alkyne = when the carbons are triple bonded
the first step in the oxidation series of an alkane is
alcohol
when alcohol is oxidized it will form
an aldehyde
ketones are good for
good solvent for removing grease, oil, paint, and cosmetic stains
when an aldehyde goes through oxidation
an organic acid
organic acids can also be called
carboxylic acids
what is the functional group of a carboxyl group
-COOH
whats the end of the alkane oxidation series
CO2 + H2O
what is an organic molecule that does not contain carbon
ammonia
amino acids are
amphoteric
how does a peptide bond form
when the acid end of one amino acid bonds with the base end of another amino acid
when a molecule is composed of less than 50 peptide bonds its considered
polypeptide
the name of an enzyme comes from
whatever material it acts upon with the suffix “ase”
- ex. lactase
proteins are responsible for what
the structure, regulation, and function of the body
examples of proteins in the body
- albumin
- hemoglobin
- enzymes
how does formaldehyde (HCHO) act on proteins in the body to preserve tissues
HCHO coagulate proteins by cross linking between their adjacent peptide bonds, and one molecule is produced with each cross link. this cross linking temporarily slows decomposition
degradation of peptide bonds in decomposing bodies is the source of
ammonia
embalming occurs best at what pH
7.4
in death the body goes through what pHs
lightly basic to acidic and back to basic
how is formaldehyde produced
its a single carbon aldehyde produced by oxidation of methanol (the single carbon alcohol)
formaldehyde is also called
methanal and formalin
HCHO is what state at room temperature
gas
the saturated solution of HCHO in water is
formalin
what is the index of formalin
37
the solid form of formalin is
paraformaldehyde
what is glutaraldehyde
- 5 carbon dialdehyde
- function group -CHO
- is liquid at room temperature
- destroys bacterial spores
what causes a jaundice body to turn from yellow to green when injected with formaldehyde
the bilirubin turns to biliverdin
phenol is
- simplest alcohol of the aromatic (ring structure) called benzene
- product of coal formation
- great disinfectant for surfaces and tissues
- good for bleaching
jaundice fluid is made up of
either low amount of HCHO or glutaraldehyde or methanol
supplemental fluids do…
- anything besides preservation
- rinse out thick blood
- adjust pH
- add moisture
- identify poor distribution
- open circulation
- flush out vascular system
- make cells receptive to formaldehyde
examples of humectants
- ethylene glycol
- glycerin
- sorbitol
- lanolin
examples of dyes
- eosine
- erythrosine
- ponceau red
- amaranth
examples of buffers
citric acid/sodium citrate and boric acid/sodium borate
what is a chelating agent
EDTA, it holds ions in its ‘claws’
presence of ___ in the blood may contribute to postmortem clotting
calcium ions
the most common surfactant used in embalming
sodium lauryl sulfate
how does a surfactant work
they “dilute” the water slightly so the water molecules are farther from each other and exert a less attractive force on each other
examples of accessory chemicals
- adhesives
- pore closers
- cosmetics
- absorbent powders
- preservative powders
- bleaches
- cauterants
- surface disinfectants
