Why do fish🐟 smell when you buy them?
Heard of the saying "something smells fishy"? Have you noticed how a fresh fish smells different from one that is not so fresh? Yes, once again it is chemistry that is the reason behind this.
Fishes smell because of a natural process of decay. Bacterial enzymes attack the flesh of the fish. This triggers an oxidation reduction reaction. The muscle of the fish contain a substance called trimethylamine oxide (TMAO) which is broken down by decomposition. The result is trimethylamine and dimethylamine. The mixing of these two amines results in that characteristic fishy smell. In fact, it is the presence of trimethylamine that is used as an indicator of how fresh a fish is.
Heard of the saying "something smells fishy"? Have you noticed how a fresh fish smells different from one that is not so fresh? Yes, once again it is chemistry that is the reason behind this.
The cause of the stink
Fishes smell because of a natural process of decay. Bacterial enzymes attack the flesh of the fish. This triggers an oxidation reduction reaction. The muscle of the fish contain a substance called trimethylamine oxide (TMAO) which is broken down by decomposition. The result is trimethylamine and dimethylamine. The mixing of these two amines results in that characteristic fishy smell. In fact, it is the presence of trimethylamine that is used as an indicator of how fresh a fish is.
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