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Mayonnaise is a mixture of oil and water. But we know that oil and water do not mix. What is the magic ingredient that allows us to mix salad oil and weak acetic acid (vinegar - mostly water)? It takes a special long molecule – an amphiphilic molecule, which has an affinity for water on one end and an affinity for lipids (oil) on the other.
And what is the most common source of this amphilic molecule? Egg yolks, of course. Add some egg yolks to your salad oil and vinegar and blend carefully. Voila! Mayonnaise. (A bit of lemon juice helps the flavor.)
Lecithin is the term you will find on many of your food products. Lecithin is an amphiphilic molecule. In fact, the word lecithin comes to us from the Greek lekithos, meaning egg yolk.
The biological cells of our body have a wall that separates lipid from water. Before the evolution of amphiphilic molecules, no cell wall could exist. After the biological cell became possible, all evolution continued. From mayonnaise to life!
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Previews available in: English
Subjects
Miscellanea, Biology, Science, amusing science, Anecdotes, Humor, Science, miscellanea, Life, origin, NatureTimes
Current scienceEdition | Availability |
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1
Mayonnaise and the origin of life: thoughts of minds and molecules
1991, Ox Bow Press
in English
091802482X 9780918024824
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2
Mayonnaise and the origin of life: thoughts of minds and molecules
1986, Berkley
in English
- Berkley ed.
0425095665 9780425095669
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zzzz
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3
Mayonnaise and the origin of life: thoughts of minds and molecules
1985, Scribner
in English
0684184443 9780684184449
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Book Details
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Includes index.
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April 17, 2024 | Edited by ImportBot | import existing book |
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