Dr Hector Perera UK

When a dummy female cockroach is smeared with the synthetic smell of a young female cockroach and placed in the middle of a deadly sticky glue paper, all sexually active male cockroaches get fatally attracted to the dummy. When they tried to get to her they get stuck and more come along to find this fatal attraction.

The subject chemistry is a sort of a mystery subject, one makes things or synthesise things but cannot see the actual molecular structure of a single molecule. A single molecule of an acid, alcohol or an ester cannot be seen but a collection of them can be seen, itƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s somewhat mystery!

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Synthetic Esters

Esters are used in artificial fragrances or scents, as solvents in pharmaceutical industries, as industrial solvents for making fats, cellulose, paints and varnishes, and also used in making artificial food flavors that are added into food such as ice cream and sweets. Not only creatures like cockroaches but humans are also attracted to these artificially synthesised chemicals in food. I am sure you know some spices used to make a tasty chicken curry but when it is cooked, the mouth watering aroma is totally different to individual spices used in the process. Is this due reaction between spices with the chicken?

The Ancient Chinese people used incense and flowers to calm the nerves and soothe the body. The chemicals in the scents are thought to have a calming effect on the brain. Now you know why lovers give a single red rose on a valentine day.

The sweet smell of ripened fruits such mangos, pineapples, guavas, apples, bananas and other fruits are due to these esters. Often when we buy mangos, first we try and smell to see this ester smell because only the ripened has this sweet smell. During the Sinhalese New year one of the unforgettable rice pulling stuff is pickles or ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-achcharuƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚. This gives the sweet smelling ester due to a large number of esters formed in the mixture.

The sweet smelling nail varnish is due to the ester in the nail polish, so esters are quite familiar with our day to day life. Each ester has its unique smell and our minds are clever enough to identify most of these esters, similarly the male cockroaches cleverly understand the smell young active female cockroaches.
When we spray scents and colognes on to our bodies, certain chemicals in them easily get absorbed into the blood system through the skin because these scents are dissolved in aromatic organic solvents such as in different kinds of alcohols and esters.

Often certain sprays and colognes are sprayed under the tender parts of the skin such as under the chin, neck and underarms to keep a fresh smell, to hide the natural body smell. We know for fact that certain pain releasing balms and oils get absorbed into the skin so why not these scents and colognes get absorbed into the body?ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  It has been found out certain chemicals that are used in hypnosis are also added to some of these scents and colognes. I think they are added to trap the customers to persuade to buy them, no matter the price tag, just buy them as they are momentarily hypnotised.

Lunch time walk about