1. What type of compound accounts for the “fishy” odor of fish?
Added by Lourdes L.
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The "fishy" smell is mainly due to the presence of amines, particularly trimethylamine (TMA). Show more…
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a dead fish has washed up on the beach and is starting to decay. which compound produces the unpleasant odor from the decaying fish?
Adi S.
Fish has a "fishy" taste and odor because of the presence of nitrogen compounds called amines in the protein of the fish. Amines such as methyl amine, $\mathrm{CH}_{3} \mathrm{NH}_{2},$ can be thought of as close relatives of ammonia, $\mathrm{NH}_{3}$ , in which a hydrogen atom of ammonia is replaced by a carbon-containing group. When fish is served, it is often accompanied by lemon (or vinegar in some countries), which reduces the fishy odor and taste. Is there evidence that the action of the lemon juice or vinegar represents a chemical reaction?
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The disagreeable odor of fish is mainly due to organic compounds (RNH_2) containing an amino group, - $\mathrm{NH}_{2}$, where $\mathrm{R}$ is the rest of the molecule. Amines are bases just like ammonia. Explain why putting some lemon juice on fish can greatly reduce the odor.
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