Colourful Chemistry

The Chemistry of Blood Colours

The Chemistry of The Colours of Blood

Infographic on the chemistry of the colours of blood. Human blood is red due to haemoglobin, which is also red when deoxygenated - not blue! Spiders, crustaceans, and molluscs including octopuses and squid have blue blood due to haemocyanin, which contains copper instead of iron. When deoxygenated, haemocyanin is colourless. Some segmented worms, some leeches and some marines worms have green blood due to chlorocruorin, which is light green when deoxygenated. Marine worms including peanut worms, penis worms and brachiopods have purple blood due to haemerythrin, which is colourless when deoxygenated.
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Halloween’s almost here, which, for a large number of costumes, will require a liberal dousing of fake blood to complete the look. You probably already have a pretty good idea of the reasons behind the red colouration of human blood that fake blood mimics. However, red is not the only blood colour available – it also comes in blue, green, violet, and even colourless varieties – and this is a result of the specific chemicals that make up blood in different organisms.

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The chemistry of glow stick colours

The Chemistry of Glow Sticks

The chemistry of glow stick colours
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Everyone’s familiar with glow sticks, but it’s likely that fewer are familiar with the chemistry behind their glow. You may have wondered what happens when you snap a glow stick to activate it; by doing this, you’re actually kicking off a chemical process that eventually leads to the production of the coloured light. But how does this process work, and why do you need to bend the glow stick to initiate it?

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The Chemistry of Gemstone Colours 2016

What Causes the Colour of Gemstones?

The Chemistry of Gemstone Colours 2016
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There are a wide range of gemstones used in jewellery, with each having its own characteristic colour – or, in some cases, a range of colours. The origin of these colours has a chemical basis, and the precise colour can vary depending on the chemical composition of the gemstone. Interestingly, many minerals are actually colourless in their pure form, and it is the inclusion of impurities in their structure which leads to their colouration.

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Colourful Chemistry - Colours of pH Indicators

The Colours & Chemistry of pH Indicators

Colourful Chemistry - Colours of pH Indicators
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Most of us, chemists or otherwise, have probably come across pH indicators at one point or another. I’d be surprised if there’s anyone out there who hasn’t, back in school, carried out the standard experiment of adding universal indicator to a variety of household liquids to identify them as acidic or alkaline. You might not be aware of the large range of different indicators that can be used to identify varying pHs, however, or the reasons behind the colour changes observed.

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