Some people like sweet food, others like sour food, but there are few who like hot food. The feeling of your mouth being on fire when you eat hot food, like chili peppers, is caused by the chemical Capsaicin. This product interacts with sensory neurons: it binds to a specific receptor, which doesn't cause an actual burn, but only the feeling of one. This is why the compound is used in pepperspray.
Even if you try to extinguish with water, the burning sensation remains, because Capsaicin is insoluable in water. But the chemical also has an advantage: as it binds to a neuron receptor, it can ease the pain of cancer patients.
Dries Van den Bossche
1 opmerking:
Good job: nice teaser to start, followed by a text with excellent flow (zigzag, whose story?=chemical element and good links: 'this/it/this is why...')
Nice casual style!
Olaf
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