READ: Synthetic vs. Natural Materials

READ: Synthetic vs. Natural Materials

Many advertisements claim their products are "all natural". Most people understand this to mean that it comes from nature or is made from something that occurs in nature. On the other hand, when people hear that something is "synthetic", you think of things that are made in the lab which is true, synthetic things have been made by mankind.

Natural Diamond	Synthetic Diamond

The diamond on the left came from a mine. It is natural. The diamond on the right was created in a lab. It is synthetic. The diamond produced in the lab costs about 30% less than the mined diamond. What's the difference between them? These two diamonds have exactly the same composition and exactly the same properties. If you were to look at them under a microscope, they look exactly the same. Many of the materials that occur naturally can be made synthetically by scientists in the lab. If a synthetic material has the same chemical structure as a naturally occurring material, they have the same properties.

Insulin is an compound made by the body that allows our bodies to use the sugar in the food we eat. Some people’s bodies don't have the ability to make this important compound. These people have a condition known as diabetes. Scientists used to get insulin from pigs however it took huge amounts of pig to make the needed insulin.  Scientists have now developed a way to make insulin in the lab. Chemically, natural insulin and synthetic insulin have the exact same structure and properties. People with diabetes can inject synthetic insulin into their bodies and then their bodies can use sugar just like people who produce insulin naturally. The only difference between natural and synthetic insulin is the process used to make them. Since both forms of insulin are identical in structure and function, one can substitute for the other.

Examples of Synthetic Materials that come from Natural Resources

Medicine

Revisit the flower and medicine phenomenon. The Foxglove flower, though poisonous if eaten fresh, contains chemicals that are beneficial to society. Digitalis is a medicine, made from the Foxglove flower, that is used to treat congestive heart failure. It increases the force of heart contractions which improves the movement of blood through the heart and gives the heart more rest time between beats. It also corrects abnormal rhythms and helps the body shed excess fluid. Digitalis is a great example of a synthetic material that has been made from a natural resource.

Plastics

Many other things we use everyday are synthetic and are made from natural resources. Let’s look at something we use a lot of everyday: plastic. Plastic is, in many ways, an almost ideal substance because it is used for many different things and it is cheap to make. Plastic is mainly made from petroleum (oil) and hydrocarbons in a repeating pattern of molecules stuck together, known as a polymer. Plastics have a downfall though, in that they take a long time to decompose and often become a hazard to other organisms. 

Fabrics

Clothing is yet another great example of a synthetic material we use everyday that comes from something natural. The fibers that compose the materials for our clothes are either natural or human-made. Silk and cotton are examples of natural fibers. Silk is produced by silkworms and oven into cloth and cotton is grown as a plant. Human-made fabrics include nylon, orlon, and polyester. These materials are made from hydrocarbons  found in petroleum products. Synthetic fabrics are also used in shoes, raingear, and camping items. The synthetic fabrics tend to be lighter than the natural ones and can be treated to make them more water -resistant and durable. Materials originally developed as textiles are finding a wide variety of other uses. Nylon is found in a number of plastic utensils. Because it is strong and lightweight, nylon is a component of ropes, fishing nets, tents, and parachutes.

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