Читать книгу Biochemistry For Dummies - John Moore T., Richard Langley H., John T. Moore - Страница 42

Many functional groups have distinctive odors. Small carboxylic acids smell like acetic acid (vinegar), while larger ones have unpleasant odors. Most esters, if volatile, have pleasant odors, which is why esters are used extensively in the food and perfume industry. Most sulfur-containing compounds have strong, unpleasant odors. Small amines have an ammonia odor, whereas larger amines have a fishy odor or worse. That’s why people squeeze lemon juice on fish — the acidic lemon juice reacts with the basic amines to form an ammonium salt that doesn’t have an odor. (Believe us, there are odors worse than fish — putrescine is one!)