Question

Although this is no longer generally recommended, in the past, small cuts and abrasions on the skin were frequently cleaned using hydrogen peroxide solution. What evidence is there that treating a wound with hydrogen peroxide causes a chemical reaction to take place?

Name: Problem 4, Chapter 6: Introductory Chemistry
Uploaded: 2021-03-22T19:27:05-08:00
Duration: 2 min 5 s
Channel: Dr. Satish Ingale
Description: Although this is no longer generally recommended, in the past, small cuts and abrasions on the skin were frequently cleaned using hydrogen peroxide solution. What evidence is there that treating a wound with hydrogen peroxide causes a chemical reaction to take place?

   Although this is no longer generally recommended, in the past, small cuts and abrasions on the skin were frequently cleaned using hydrogen peroxide solution. What evidence is there that treating a wound with hydrogen peroxide causes a chemical reaction to take place?

Introductory Chemistry

Steven S. Zumdahl,… 9th Edition

Chapter 6, Problem 4

Instant Answer

Solved by Expert Dr. Satish Ingale

03/22/2021

Step 1

Hydrogen peroxide acts as a bleaching agent and reacts with the skin cells and skin pigments around the wound. This reaction destroys the pigment and harmful substances, turning the tissue a lighter color. This can be represented as: \[ \text{{Skin cells + Show more…

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Although this is no longer generally recommended, in the past, small cuts and abrasions on the skin were frequently cleaned using hydrogen peroxide solution. What evidence is there that treating a wound with hydrogen peroxide causes a chemical reaction to take place?

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Key Concepts

Catalase Enzyme Activity

Catalase is an enzyme present in human tissues that speeds up the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen. This reaction indicates that a chemical transformation is occurring and serves as the basic biochemical mechanism behind the treatment's effects.

Observable Effervescence

The rapid formation of bubbles when hydrogen peroxide contacts a wound provides physical evidence of the chemical reaction. These bubbles are the expelled oxygen, visually confirming that the compound is actively decomposing.

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