passing wind

[nugget]

hello!
since taking chemistry im constantly thinking of moles and molecules and paritcles in terms of everything. I was wondering when a person passes wind, and it smells, is that because of bacteria producing some kind of substance?? because the air that was there changes in concentration of the different components.

If so, its more than just methane? could someones fart contain some sort of germs or can the gas have some sort of affects if inhaled? sorry if this seems a bit disguisting, but ive just wondered often about that because honestly sometimes even when my dog passes wind, it smells so bad, it must be bad for you to inhale. which is why it smells bad??? like a warning .... ?

[nugget]

oh dear i just found the post on fart facts .... sorry

but still after looking at that, it doesnt technically answer my questions

[swatkat]

hi
thats practically the explanation i give my mom when she asks me to eat bitter gourd!!!!
if its bitter theres gotta be a reason not to eat it
but bitter gourd is very good for health
so all my pleading into the dustbin
ill check out if i can get u some useful info

[scottyiu]

I dunno, but i read a book that says that there are some bacteria in your guts that are responsible for making it smell bad...

For the methane question, i think it is not only methane or warning signs saying "Warning, passing wind in an enclosed room can be deadly" all over the places...

Anyway, i am not very sure of the answrs, i think that they are correct...

[i_r_e_d]

Some guy in New York died because he passed too much wind in his apartment. I dont know if you've ever been to New york but the apartments are tiny!!! So he died from a methane overdose.... That's gotta suck...

[scottyiu]

Are you sure? I think that is fake... It can't be possible, right?

[nugget]

looooooool

people be awareeeee

sleep with ur windows with a crack open!!!
it does seem a bit farfetched though doesnt it?

[Martian]

Methane doesn't smell at all. It's probably the sulfur compounds produced by symbotic bacteria in the gut.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methane

Pure methane is odorless, but when used commercially is usually mixed with small quantities of odorants, strongly-smelling sulfur compounds such as ethyl mercaptan to enable the detection of leaks.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flatulence

The gas released during a flatus event frequently has a foul odor which mainly results from low molecular weight fatty acids such as butyric acid (rancid butter smell) and reduced sulfur compounds such as hydrogen sulfide (rotten egg smell) and carbonyl sulfide that are the result of protein breakdown.