In 2002, scientists were able to insert a small segment of the (capsaicin-sensitive) rat TrpV1 receptor gene into the non-sensitive chicken version of the gene, and the resulting chimeric (mixed species) receptor was sensitive to capsaicin ( Cell 2002, 108, 421).īack at the North Hudson Pepperfest, those with a little more common sense are foregoing the painful effects of capsaicin overload and are instead indulging in more pleasant chemical phenomena. The region of the receptor which is responsible for capsaicin sensitivity appears to be quite specific. There is an evolutionary logic to this: it is to the pepper’s advantage to be eaten by a bird rather than a mammal, because a bird can spread the pepper seeds over a much wider area. Interestingly, birds also have a heat receptor protein which is very similar to the TrpV1 receptor in mammals, but birds are not at all sensitive to capsaicin. The molecule binds to and activates a mammalian receptor protein called TrpV1, which in normal circumstances has the job of detecting high temperatures and sending a signal to the brain – ‘it’s hot, stay away!’ This strategy works quite well on all mammalian species except one: we humans (some of us, at least) appear to be alone in our tendency to actually seek out the burn of the hot pepper in our food. Within thirty seconds, though, what begins to happen is completely predictable and understandable to anyone who has ever mistakenly poured a little too much hot sauce on the dinner plate.įaces turn red, sweat and tears begin to flow, and a copious amount of cold water is gulped down.Īlthough technically the contestants are competing against each other, the real opponent in this contest – the cause of all the pain and suffering – is the chemical compound ‘capsaicin’, the source of the heat in hot chili peppers.Ĭomposed of the four elements carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen, capsaicin is produced by the pepper plant for the purpose of warding off hungry mammals. As the eating begins, all seems well at first.
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In this particular event, teams of five people will race to be the first to eat a full pound of peppers.
Unfortunately for the contestants, the fruit in question is the habanero, one of the hotter varieties of chili pepper commonly found in markets in North America. In front of a cheering crowd of friends, family, and neighbors, these brave souls are about to do battle. A line of people are seated at tables set up inside a canvas tent. Croix river in the western edge of the state. It’s a hot August evening at a park in the middle of North Hudson, Wisconsin, a village of just under 4000 people on the St.
Sections: 5.1 Pain, pleasure, and organic chemistry 5.2 Drawing organic molecules Finding the Best Lewis Structure 5.3 Different Representations of Organic Molecules Molecular formulae Structural formulae and 3-dimensional models Skeletal or line formulae Drawing abbreviated organic structure 5.4 Stereoisomers, Enantiomers, and Chirality Chirality Thalidomide – A Story of Unintended Consequences 5.5 The Importance of Chirality in Protein Interactions 5.6 Recognizing Common Organic Functional Groups Alkanes Alkenes and Alkynes Aromatics Alkyl Halides Alcohols, Phenols, and Thiols Ethers and Sulfides Amines Organic Phosphates Aldehydes and Ketones Carboxylic Acids and Their Derivatives Nitriles Practice Recognizing Functional Groups in Molecules 5.7 A Brief Overview of Organic Nomenclature 5.8 Referencesĥ.1 Pain, pleasure, and organic chemistry
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