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Alkali

Alkali

Origin: f. Alcali, ultimately fr. Ar. Alqali ashes of the plant saltwort, fr. Qalay to roast in a pan, fry.

1. Soda ash; caustic soda, caustic potash, etc.

2. (Science: chemistry) One of a class of caustic bases, such as soda, potash, ammoma, and lithia, whose distinguishing peculiarities are solubility in alcohol and water, uniting with oils and fats to form soap, neutralising and forming salts with acids, turning to brown several vegetable yellows, and changing reddened litmus to blue. Fixed alkalies, potash and soda. Vegetable alkalies. Same as alkaloids. Volatile alkali, ammonia, so called in distinction from the fixed alkalies.


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Another biochemical question

1. Group I/II elements are the alkali/alkaline earth metals. They most readily form salts. Sodium + chlorine forms sodium chloride; sodium + water forms sodium hydroxide and hydrogen gas. Sodium hydroxide is a metal hydroxide. Any of the ...

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by blcr11
Thu Dec 25, 2008 11:32 am
 
Forum: Molecular Biology
Topic: Another biochemical question
Replies: 12
Views: 1016

Re: Gene cloning question

... dated now, is Gunther Stent's Molecular Genetics The old-style way to isolate plasmids took advantage of two facts: 1) DNA is more stable toward alkali (base) than RNA; and 2) plasmids are much smaller than the bacterial chromosome (although cosmids can get quite large). In very brief outline, ...

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by blcr11
Mon Dec 15, 2008 2:46 pm
 
Forum: Molecular Biology
Topic: Gene cloning question
Replies: 11
Views: 1452

Lemon Juice and fruit browning

1,4-Benzoquinone is sensitive towards both strong mineral acids and alkali, which cause condensation and decomposition of the compound.

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by MrMistery
Sun Nov 02, 2008 7:26 pm
 
Forum: Molecular Biology
Topic: Lemon Juice and fruit browning
Replies: 2
Views: 1010

Blood-Borne Viruses

I wouldn't have thought a susceptibility to air, heat, cold, acid, or alkali would make it any easier to cure because most pathogens are to an extent. Once it is in the blood I would not have thought you could use those factors against the virus without killing ...

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by stopherlogic
Sun Oct 19, 2008 6:25 pm
 
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: Blood-Borne Viruses
Replies: 2
Views: 816

Blood-Borne Viruses

... The question was : Design a means to prevent the spread of ALAS (fictional blood-borne virus) that is susceptible to air, heat, cold, acid and alkali. ALAS is from the short story "The Giving Plague" by David Brin. (http://www.davidbrin.com/givingplague1.html) I read the short and ...

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by Spiff321
Sat Oct 18, 2008 8:55 pm
 
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: Blood-Borne Viruses
Replies: 2
Views: 816
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