The use of soap removes harmful microorganisms; The chemist explains science behind this effect

The use of soap removes harmful microorganisms; The chemist explains science behind this effect


If liquid or bar, soap is essential to maintain health in time

Thousands of years ago, our ancestors discovered something that could clean their bodies and clothes. Legend has it that someone’s fatty fat has fallen on the ashes left on a bonfire. They were surprised to discover that the mixture of fats and ashes formed a material that cleaned things. At the time, this must have a similar magic.

Cleaning chemistry

Water – scientific name: dihydrogen monoxide – is made up of two hydrogen atoms and an oxygen atom. This molecule is necessary for life on our planet.

Chemists classify other molecules that are attracted to water as a hydrophilic, which means that it likes water. Hydrophil molecules can dissolve in water.

Therefore, if you lap your hands under an open tap without using soap, it would probably eliminate many hydrophils attached to the skin.

However, there is another category of molecules that chemicals call hydrophobic, which means that they are afraid of water. Hydrophobic molecules do not dissolve in the water.

Oil is an example of something that is hydrophobic. You probably know from your experience that oil and water simply don’t mix. Imagine shaking a pot of vinaigrette sauce salad – oil and other watery ingredients never mix.

Therefore, just pass the hands in the water not to eliminate the molecules that fear the water, such as oil or fat.

This is where the soap arrives to save the day.

Soap, a complex molecule, loves and fears water at the same time. With the shape of an orderly, the soap molecule has a round head and a long tail; The head is hydrophilic and the tail is hydrophobic. This quality is one of the reasons why soap is slippery.

This is also what your cleaning superpower gives soap.

A microscopic view

To see what happens when you tease your hands with soap and water, we enlarge.

Imagine all the dirt you play during the day and accumulates in the skin, dirtying your hands. Maybe there are stains of food, mud from the outside or even sweat and oiliness of your skin.

All this material is lover of water or fears it at a molecular level. Dirt is a mixture of both. Death powder and skin cells are hydrophilic; Natural oils are hydrophobic; and environmental debris can both be.

If you only use the water to clean your hands, it will be left far behind because you will only remove the parts that love water and dissolve in the water.

However, when adding a little soap, the story is different, thanks to its properties of absorption and rejection of the water at the same time.

The soap molecules come together and surround the dirt in their hands, forming the one that is known as a micellar structure. At a molecular level, it seems almost a bubble that involves the hydrophobic part of the debris. The heads of the soap molecules, which like water are on the surface and the queues, which are afraid of water, the Micella. This structure keeps dirt and running water washes everything.

To obtain the full effect of this ally, wash your hands on the sink for at least 20 seconds. The rubbing hands help to force soap molecules to penetrate the existing dirt to break and wrap it.

It is not just a dirt

In addition to dirt, your body is covered by microorganisms: bacteria, viruses and mushrooms. Most are harmless and some protect you from sick. But some microorganisms, known as pathogenic agents, can cause diseases and diseases.

They can also smell if you don’t take a shower for a while. These bacteria break the organic molecules and release stinking vapors.

Although microorganisms are protected by a barrier – called membrane – water and soap can break the membrane, causing the breakage of the microorganism. The water then washes the remains of the microorganism, together with the stench.

To say that soap has changed the course of civilization is an understatement. For thousands of years, he has contributed to maintaining the health of billions of people. Think about it next time you ask yourself to wash the dishes, which will probably happen soon.

Paul E. Richardson He is a biochemistry teacher at Coastal Carolina University.

This content was originally published in The conversation. To read the original text, .

Source: Terra

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