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The Chemistry Of Fruit Browning

By Janice VanCleave

Why do apple slices turn brown? The peel of an apple prevents oxygen from coming in contact with the chemicals inside the apple. Cutting an apple breaks the cells of the apple. Thus the broken cells on the cut surface of the apple are exposed to oxygen in air. There are a series of chemical […]

Filed Under: Biology Tagged With: aerobic oxidation, apple browning, denatured, enzymes, melanin, organelles, pH, phenols, pigment, polyphenol oxidase

How a Chameleon’s Skin Changes Color

By Janice VanCleave

The group of four photos model what a person with pigmented skin like a chameleon would look like.

  What Happens Inside a Chameleon that Changes Its Skin Color? New Terms light energy pigment transparent visible light white light   Chameleons are so cool! Think about having skin that changes color when there is a change in temperature, or if you get excited –upset–mad–don’t feel well. We would not be able to “hide […]

Filed Under: Biology Tagged With: chameleon's skin color, chameleons, chromophores, melanin, melanocytes, pigment

Sun Blockers

By Janice VanCleave

Natures Natural Sunblockers Some of the organisms in the icy waters of the Antarctic Ocean have a natural sun-blocker. What is this substance? Answer: Pigments (coloring substances) in living organisms, such as melanin in human skin, can also protect them from UVL. The young girl on the left in the picture above has very little […]

Filed Under: Biology, Physics Tagged With: melanin, pigment, sun block

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Welcome to Janice’s Science Extravaganza!

The spoon hanging from the string vibrates when struck and these vibrations are transmitted through the string and the sound is amplified by the plastic cups. ABOUT ME: Hi, I am Janice VanCleave, author of 50 best-selling science experiment books for children ages 4 through high school. I taught science for 27 years. MORE.....

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