Amber

[theblackalchemist]

Amber

 

ambers have been wore by ancient greeks to ward of the evil eye

actually it was beleived to be mysterious because of its ability to become electrified and static electricity is stored in amber making it possible to attract light materials

the greek name for amber was elektron ( origin of electricity )

amber is a brittle yellow transluscent substance hard enough to make ornaments but softer than marble

 

ages ago a certain resinous substance oozed from pine trees growing on earth and got accumulated on the ground , eventually buried , fossilised to form amber as seen today

 

since amber was stick we can see ants and insects embedded in amber looking like they had been caught yesterday

 

questions

1)what is in amber to perfectly preserve insects

 

2) what is the chemical name of amber ?

 

 

 

 

 

a brief explaination of alchemy

 

How many of you have heard of the philosophers stone and the exilir of life ?

they are the two masterworks of all alchemists . the mild scraping of the philosophers stone can turn any metal into ... GOLD . the exilir of life can cure any illness to grant mortality . this was a rage once upon a time

the alchemists kept on searching but in vain was their efforts

but due to their efforts modern chemistry was born

 

but today there is actual transmutation of elements taking place

by the help of particle accelerators .

[Boerseun]

1)what is in amber to perfectly preserve insects

Nothing. It's a common misconception that the insect is in one piece. What you see in the amber is actually just an imprint left, so perfectly made that it looks like the real thing. But the moment you cut the amber open to get to the bug, there's nothing inside, the remains of the insect long ago turned to dust, consumed by whatever bacteria it was lugging with it, in its intestines, for instance. It's just an imprint, like footprints don't make a foot, but it kinda looks like one...

2) what is the chemical name of amber ?

Seeing as amber is 'tree-scabs', for want of a better term, you can be pretty sure that it contains a lot of hydrocarbon, etc. Also, the composition changes over the years as it hardens. On average, according to wiki, amber can be said to be C10H16O in composition, but it doesn't have a single universal name. Called amber in the English world, it's called 'bernstein' in the German world - because it burns rather easily. Once again according to wiki.

[Turtle]

Nothing. It's a common misconception that the insect is in one piece. What you see in the amber is actually just an imprint left, so perfectly made that it looks like the real thing. But the moment you cut the amber open to get to the bug, there's nothing inside, the remains of the insect long ago turned to dust, consumed by whatever bacteria it was lugging with it, in its intestines, for instance. It's just an imprint, like footprints don't make a foot, but it kinda looks like one...

Mmmmm....no.:evil: Well, more like it depends. Seeds and even insects are found preserved in amber. While no one has yet recovered DNA suitable for cloning as in Jurassic Park, the chitinous exoskeltons of insects in amber remain intact. The lack of oxygen has a lot to do with the preservation.

Amber is in effect fossilized plant resin. Did you know that if you rub amber with a cloth, it builds a static electric charge sufficient to attract small pieces of paper just as a magnet attracts metal shavings? No other 'rock' exhibits this property...I think.;)

[Turtle]

While no one has yet recovered DNA suitable for cloning as in Jurassic Park, the chitinous exoskeltons of insects in amber remain intact. ...I think.:)

 

I left that purposley open until I found a link, but yes indeed fragments of DNA have been recovered from insects in amber. :lol:

 

 

DNA was first reported to have been recovered from amber in1992 when scientists in California claimed to have extracted fragments of DNA from an extinct species of bee ( Proplebeia dominicana) in Dominican amber.

http://www.nhm.ac.uk/nature-online/earth/fossils/fathom-dnainamber/assets/12feat_dna_in_amber.pdf

[InfiniteNow]

I left that purposley open until I found a link, but yes indeed fragments of DNA have been recovered from insects in amber.

It was from this very point that the crux of the book (and later the movie) Jurassic Park followed.