Naked Science Forum

Non Life Sciences => Chemistry => Topic started by: Voxx on 17/07/2013 18:29:27

Title: Does the body create all the chemicals necessary for Nitroglycerin?
Post by: Voxx on 17/07/2013 18:29:27

Does the body create everything needed to create Nitroglycerin or does the body miss an important chemical?  Saliva could make a good solution for it for stability, right?  Water and Salt?

Title: Re: Does the body create all the chemicals necessary for Nitroglycerin?
Post by: Voxx on 17/07/2013 18:49:47

Also, is there a chemical made in the body or combination of chemicals that are extremely deadly to plants and/or a bacteria that eats away vegetation?  Something that could even destroy roots, following down the stem to its source?

Title: Re: Does the body create all the chemicals necessary for Nitroglycerin?
Post by: CliffordK on 17/07/2013 21:06:12

Nitroglycerin is commonly used for heat medication, so some people with angina carry a small amount of it with them.

As far as your body making it, I don't think so.  However, glycerin is a major component of fat.  And, I think your body may make the NO₂/NO₃ functional group, so technically, it might be able to make it.

Hmmm...
For something deadly to plants????
Your stomach does make concentrated Hydrochloric Acid, and one can certainly regurgitate it if one wishes, although perhaps the concentrations would not normally be as high as you wish, but you are writing scifi.

Pancreatic Juice may is a combination of Sodium Bicarbonate (I suppose not that dangerous), plus a number of enzymes designed to break down food.  Purified it might be hard on plants, but I don't think there is any "normal" way to easily get it out of the body.

I don't believe any of the GI flora is typically too bad for plants, but that doesn't mean a person couldn't be colonized with something from bacteria to protozoa to nematodes (worms) that would be extremely destructive to plants.

Title: Re: Does the body create all the chemicals necessary for Nitroglycerin?
Post by: Bored chemist on 17/07/2013 21:30:36

Urine generally kills plants if applied regularly and in large amounts. I believe this is largely due to the fairly high salt content.
The body certainly generates H2O2 and NO which can produce nitric acid It also makes glycerine.
So, the body makes the ingredients, however nitroglycerine isn't stable in water so it would be a difficult synthesis for the body. Also the reaction needs strongly acid conditions - however it's plausible that an enzyme could fulfil that role.
Biology (though not humans in this case) can create the essential components of TNT
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chloramphenicol

Title: Re: Does the body create all the chemicals necessary for Nitroglycerin?
Post by: Voxx on 17/07/2013 22:18:53

Thank you for the quick response guys!!

Glad to see your answers.  I've decided to go with mitosis accelerated bursaphelenchus xylophilus.  Causing a heightened metabolism and shorter life expectancy.  To kill deciduous trees/roots.

Possible or impractical? 

Title: Re: Does the body create all the chemicals necessary for Nitroglycerin?
Post by: CliffordK on 17/07/2013 22:57:41

You might choose single syllable words!!!!!!! 

Anyway, it sounds like your worm is a beetle parasite, so I don't see any reason why something related couldn't also infect mammals, at least in the sci-fi world.

Title: Re: Does the body create all the chemicals necessary for Nitroglycerin?
Post by: Voxx on 18/07/2013 00:16:59

I believe it's a bacteria O.o  Was I wrong???  (embarrassing -facepalm-)

Title: Re: Does the body create all the chemicals necessary for Nitroglycerin?
Post by: CliffordK on 18/07/2013 00:38:30

Bursaphelenchus xylophilus (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bursaphelenchus_xylophilus) commonly known as pine wood nematode or pine wilt nematode (PWN), is a nematode (worm) that infects pine trees and causes pine wilt.

Title: Re: Does the body create all the chemicals necessary for Nitroglycerin?
Post by: Voxx on 18/07/2013 02:01:23

It's a worm.  xD  kk.  Looks like I was right in my writing at least.  Thanks for the confirmation.