Written / Photography by Helen Lin
As we all know, vitamin C is a very important living substance. This organic compound has irreplaceable physiological effects, without which life cannot continue normally, so it is also called "ascorbic acid". The human body cannot synthesize vitamin C by itself, and can only ingest it from plants, with which the body's metabolism can be carried out without worry.
From the molecular structure of vitamin C, it is an organic compound with 6 carbon atoms, and its chemical name is L-(+)-Sua sugar type 2,3,4,5,6-pentahydroxy-2-hexenoic acid-4-lactone, also known as L-ascorbic acid, with the molecular formula C6H8O6, which is very close to the molecular C6H12O6 formula of glucose, the most widely distributed and most important monosaccharide glucose in nature, which is a polyhydroxyaldehyde. Vitamin C has only 4 fewer hydrogen atoms than the glucose molecule, so vitamin C has extraordinary chemical activity, it is a strong reducing agent, and participates in a series of physiological and metabolic reactions within the human body.
Today I'm going to introduce you to another aspect of vitamin C's unknown talent for acting, which I think must be related to its unique molecular structure. The lively chemical properties are determined by its peculiar arrangement of atomic space, which creates a colorful appearance of microscopic matter.
Through this interesting "wormhole", we go to explore the wonderful world in the depths of the universe together
In recent years, I have been focusing on the microscopic manifestations of chemical substances, many of which have natural crystal shapes, but more often they exist in an amorphous state, and the amorphous molecular arrangement is the most fascinating. The crystal shape of the same substance is also varied, which is closely related to the external conditions when it becomes a crystal.
Direct observation of chemical crystals is difficult, and it is usually dissolved first and then recrystallized in a simple and easy way to place them under a microscope for direct observation. Due to the concentration of the solution during recrystallization, the speed of solvent volatilization, and various external factors will directly affect the morphology of the crystal. All molecules are active elves, and when their surroundings change, their chemical properties are fully excited, and they are arranged in line according to the law of maximizing entropy, so that all crystals are formed according to the principle of 1+1=2.
Every time I cast my gaze into the hole of the microscope, I enter a magical microcosm. I firmly believe that the microcosm is connected with the vast cosmic starry sky, that is, infinity can be seen as infinitesimal as infinitesimal. We can't travel through space tens of billions of light-years, but we can use a microscope to peek into the wonders of the microscopic world, so that we can see the spectacular spectacle of the depths of the universe.
Recently, I discovered that vitamin C can form an extraordinary microscopic picture. Dissolve a small amount of chemically pure vitamin C powder in water or methanol to prepare a supersaturated solution, aspirate the supernatant with a pipette, drop it on a glass slide, and allow it to volatilize naturally for recrystallization. The methanol solution volatilizes very quickly, the aqueous solution volatilizes very slowly, and the scene of its recrystallization is completely different, the crystallization pattern at the center of the droplet is far from the edge, and the changes at the edge are the most complex and diverse, plus it has a dazzling iridescent effect, which makes people dazzled.
The aqueous crystals of vitamin C have a fluffy visual effect, especially at the edge of the droplet, and the central area is like a delicate embroidery. There are also common crystal forms present.
The performance of vitamin C is so rich, I will present them to you in the order of storytelling. It will tell us about a series of vivid and interesting events that take place in the depths of the universe.
The Golden Fox Fairy was the first to appear, and she was inspecting the vast universe in pitch black
This is the tail of the fox fairy, and it seems to feel good
Seeing the golden fox standing up, the golden rabbit, which had occupied the C position for a whole year, hurriedly ran away, knowing that its natal year was about to come to an end
Knowing it was time to make his appearance, the dragon began to roar with his head up, and everything would start again
So a supernova exploded, emitting a thousand rays of light
Immediately, the supernova erupted in colorful flames
The ten thousand rays of supernova light shot into the cosmic space, illuminating the entire dark world
Immediately afterwards, the "Colorful Diamond Star" was also born
Another "multicolored diamond star" also burst out, emitting a strange beam of light
Numerous "diamond stars" glow blue
The "Diamond Star" constantly fissioned, shooting out colorful flames
The first neutron star spun at high speed, creating a huge gravitational field
A number of neutron stars have been born one after another
There are more and more neutron stars, all of which are spinning at high speed and emitting dazzling light
Wake up countless neutron stars and rotate rapidly, and there are more and more neutron stars, and soon the entire universe will be filled
The huge gravitational field generated by neutron stars comes into play, attracting surrounding interstellar matter to them
The huge gravitational field attracts the surrounding interstellar matter
Some small stars release large amounts of gaseous material that are ejected into the air
Some small stars release large amounts of gaseous material that are ejected into the air
Some small stars release large amounts of gaseous material that are ejected into the air
All sorts of fancy eruptions are constantly staged, evolving into a fireworks show
Various eruptions are constantly staged
All sorts of fancy eruptions are constantly staged, evolving into a fireworks show
Various eruptions are constantly staged, and this is an umbrella eruption
The cosmic space has been transformed into a ceremonial flower show
The cosmic space becomes a ceremonial show
The universe is changing rapidly, the universe is shifting, and two black holes are quietly merging
The universe is changing rapidly, and the black hole is the eye of the universe
The entire universe is filled with colorful lights and shadows, and it has become bizarre
The whole space is filled with colorful lights and shadows, like a rainbow party
The whole space is filled with colorful lights and shadows, like a rainbow party
Colored stars leaned over to reunite, and the earth slowly formed
The matter in the heavens collapsed and drooped in a concentrated manner
After the eruption, the lava began to shrink to form the Mediterranean Sea
After the eruption, the lava began to shrink to form the Mediterranean Sea
As the colored lava cools, many mineral crystals slowly precipitate
As the colored lava cools, many mineral crystals slowly precipitate
The fairy took the golden fan, and with a light fan, he conjured up a colorful mountain of gold
The golden phoenix shows off its beautiful tail feathers
The feathers of the golden phoenix are embroidered on the earth
So there was colorful embroidery on the earth, which was a multicolored flower
A pack of fur seals lazily lying on the beach
A pack of fur seals lazily lying on the beach
Countless fur seals lazily lie together and enjoy the warm afternoon sun
In the blink of an eye, countless fur seals have become mountains of gold
The earth is full of vibrant plants with lush branches and leaves
The branches and foliage of the plants spread out in all directions
Metallic flowers also bloom on the stones
All kinds of fairy grass-like flowers grew up from the ground one after another
All kinds of fairy grass-like flowers grew up from the ground one after another
The "hairy fish" leaped into the deep sea and became the ancestor of fish
The cosmic world is changing so fast that even a little dragon is stunned
When the little dragon appeared, the fox fairy had to hide in the bushes, and there was still a section of the tail exposed
The original form of all the above transmogrifications, the crystals of vitamin C are transparent square crystals, and it is amazing that they can have such a powerful performance magic
As the lunar year is about to come to a successful end, the Year of the Dragon is already beckoning to us. I would like to say "thank you!" to all of you who have been paying attention to "Nature Observation", and wish you all the best in the Year of the Dragon!
February 6, 2024
About author:Lin Hailun, chief Chinese pharmacist of Ningbo Institute for Drug Control, has been paying attention to the research of native animal and plant resources in Ningbo for more than 30 years, has discovered a large number of rare species, and has been committed to science popularization for a long time