• Question: hello ceri why are some chemicals posienas?xand i voted for u :)

    Asked by firefly8 to Ceri-Wyn on 18 Jun 2010 in Categories: .
    • Photo: Ceri-Wyn Thomas

      Ceri-Wyn Thomas answered on 18 Jun 2010:

      Hello Firefly. Thank you very much for voting! 🙂

      A poison is something which causes a chemical reaction in us or changes the nature of certain molecules in our bodies to the extent that they can cause us severe physical harm. Trouble is MANY chemicals are poisonous to us- even ones needed for us to survive! The key is the amount of chemical you inhale or ingest or it’s concentration. Weak vinegar is great to put on your chips but acetic acid (what vinegar is made from) can be very dangerous at higher concentrations. Moreover, if you were to have too much oxygen it could kill you! Many chemicals- at small amounts are fine, others are distinctly harmful to us in small amounts. I guess this is a function of our own evolution- we evolved to breath oxygen, we evolved in water- so our tolerance for many things will be much higher than for other things we haven’t had as much long term contact with! Does that make sense?

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