Nitrosamines are carcinogenous chemical compounds of the chemical structure R₂N-N=O. Nitrosamines are produced from nitrites and amines. Their formation can only occur under certain conditions, including strongly acidic conditions such as that of the human stomach. When normal cells are damaged or old they undergo apoptosis; cancer cells, however, avoid apoptosis. ... A chemical compound is a chemical substance formed from two or more elements, with a fixed ratio determining the composition. ... Chemical structure is the arrangement of atoms within a molecule, usually linked by covalent bonds. ... In inorganic chemistry nitrites are salts of nitrous acid HNO2. ... Ammonia Amines are organic compounds containing nitrogen as the key atom in the amine functional group. ... An acid (often represented by the generic formula AH) is typically a water-soluble, sour-tasting chemical compound. ... In anatomy, the stomach (in ancient Greek στομάχι) is an organ in the alimentary canal used to digest food. ...

The nitrite forms nitrous acid (HNO₂), which splits into the nitrosyl cation (N=O⁺) and the hydroxide (OH^-) anion. The nitrosyl cation then reacts with an amine to produce nitrosamine. Nitrous acid weak monobasic acid known only in solution and in the form of nitrite salts. ... Hydroxide is a functional group consisting of oxygen and hydrogen: -O−H It has a charge of 1-. The term hydroxyl group is used when the functional group -OH is counted as a substituent of an organic compound. ... ...

Nitrosamines are found in many foodstuffs, though not in dangerous levels, especially beer, fish, fish byproducts, and in meat and cheese products preserved with nitrite pickling salt. They are formed when the food protein reacts with nitrite salts in the stomach. They can also be formed by frying or smoking. The rule of thumb is: nitrosamine-content is lower if the food was processed less, less preservatives were used, and natural production techniques were used. In any case, only trace amounts are consumed through foodstuffs. This article is about the drink; for the village in Devon, England, see Beer, Devon. ... Atlantic herring, Clupea harengus, the most abundant fish species in the world. ... Meat is animal tissue (mainly muscle) used as food. ... Cheese is a solid food made from the curdled milk of various animals—most commonly cows but sometimes goats, sheep, reindeer, and water buffalo. ... A representation of the 3D structure of myoglobin, showing coloured alpha helices. ... A preservative is a natural or synthetic chemical that is added to products such as foods, pharmaceuticals, paints, biological samples, etc. ...

Nitrosamines can be found in tobacco smoke and latex products. A test of party balloons and condoms indicated that many of them release small amounts of nitrosamines. ^{[1] (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=15672455)} However, nitrosamines from condoms are not expected to be of toxicological significance. ^{[2] (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=11759152)} Species N. alata N. bigelovil N. debneyi N. excelsior N. exigua N. glauca N. glutinosa N. kawakamii N. knightiana N. longiflora N. sylvestris N. tabacum Ref: ITIS 30562 as of 2002-08-28 Tobacco () is a broad-leafed plant of the nightshade family, indigenous to North and South America, whose... The LaTeX logo, typeset with LaTeX LATEX is a document preparation system for the TeX typesetting program. ... Balloons are often used or given on special occasions, like cards or flowers. ... A condom is a device, usually made of latex, that covers a mans penis during sexual intercourse to avoid pregnancy and/or sexually transmitted diseases (STD) such as gonorrhea, syphilis and AIDS. They are also known as prophylactics, as well as a number of colloquial or slang terms, such... Toxicology (from the Greek words toxicon and logos) is the study of the adverse effects of chemicals on living organisms. ...

See also

• Nitroamine (without the 's'), compounds of the formula R₂N-NO₂.