> > > PS: With respect to my "no luck" post -- I actually made at least /six/ errors in that half hour. The fifth was saying that I only made four errors (when in fact I had made five at that point). The sixth was in my chemistry post, but it's pretty obvious -- I'll let you figure out what it was!
>
> Well, I'll say... You're much too hard on yourself. Straightforward errors like this one?:
>
> > > and CH3COOH is acetic acid (yes, the kind you get in orange juice).
>
> You meant, "in vinegar". Right.

Actually, no, I missed that mistake. I was writing and talking about acetic acid, but was thinking "ascorbic acid" (vitamin C) for some reason, even when I was proofreading. I only realized the mistake just now, when you mentioned it. There's a more obvious mistake, though. Plus there's two spelling errors, for a grand total now of /ten/ errors (counting the fact that "six errors" was wrong).

Of course, there may be any number of grammatical errors in addition.

> So what's the difference between C6H8O6 (an aromatic) and C6H8O7 then, the latter of which is
> CH2COOH-C(OH)COOH-CH2COOH ? :-) I know what they *are*; I have just never referenced what the difference in their metabolic properties is supposed to be. In fact, I think I went through my entire college Chemistry curricula without realizing there was a difference... *sigh*
>
> Both are also respectively known as 3-oxo-L-gulofuranolactone (enol form), and 2-hydroxy-1,2,3-propanetricarboxylic acid. Good gosh, I cannot stand extended nomenclature like this. Animals like rats, those ultralucky critters, have no problem synthesizing these compounds in their own bodies -- but *we* have to make sure to take them as nutritional supplements, gah.

I have no idea. I've been through high school level organic chemistry, and have taken, so far, exactly one university level chemistry course, which is /not/ in organic chemistry. Hopefully someone else knows...

-SB