Video below
We all cut ourselves many times over a lifetime and there are several strategies to deal with the common cut, wound, and body invasion based on collisions with too many sharp objects. I am assuming that the cut or wound will not require stitches or other serious medical attention. Generally we clean the cut, use alcohol or other disinfectant, and cover with a bandage if necessary. But, there are a number of people who believe that to effectively kill invading armies of germs, hydrogen peroxide is needed to combat any possible infection. Well, this turns out to not be what is happening. All of those wonderful bubbles are simply oxygen being liberated from the peroxide by reaction with an enzyme in the blood and cells. Check out the video:
We all cut ourselves many times over a lifetime and there are several strategies to deal with the common cut, wound, and body invasion based on collisions with too many sharp objects. I am assuming that the cut or wound will not require stitches or other serious medical attention. Generally we clean the cut, use alcohol or other disinfectant, and cover with a bandage if necessary. But, there are a number of people who believe that to effectively kill invading armies of germs, hydrogen peroxide is needed to combat any possible infection. Well, this turns out to not be what is happening. All of those wonderful bubbles are simply oxygen being liberated from the peroxide by reaction with an enzyme in the blood and cells. Check out the video:
The human body is constantly generating hydrogen peroxide which can be harmful, and the enzyme catalase is in all of the cells, blood, and in every organ of the body to break down the peroxide. 2H2O2----->2H2O +O2. So, catalase is a catalyst that renders hydrogen peroxide harmless. The process has nothing to do with killing germs, but it does help to clean the cut.
An interesting side story is that catalase is used to determining the presence of some very nasty real germs. E-Coli, Listeria, and Salmonella all show positive results when they are reacted with hydrogen peroxide. And what about the gray hair? Although there is a genetic component to graying hair, it has been discovered that people with a diminished amount of catalase may have premature graying by the hydrogen peroxide in the hair causing bleaching from the inside out. "Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble"... Sorry about the inaccurate words attributed to Shakespeare's Macbeth. Its actually "Double, Double". Poetic license...
An interesting side story is that catalase is used to determining the presence of some very nasty real germs. E-Coli, Listeria, and Salmonella all show positive results when they are reacted with hydrogen peroxide. And what about the gray hair? Although there is a genetic component to graying hair, it has been discovered that people with a diminished amount of catalase may have premature graying by the hydrogen peroxide in the hair causing bleaching from the inside out. "Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble"... Sorry about the inaccurate words attributed to Shakespeare's Macbeth. Its actually "Double, Double". Poetic license...
RSS Feed
