Fart!

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Where does fart gas come from?

The gas in our intestines comes from several sources: air we swallow, gas seeping into our intestines from our blood, gas produced by chemical reactions in our guts, and gas produced by bacteria living in our guts.

What is fart gas made of?

The composition of fart gas is highly variable.

Most of the air we swallow, especially the oxygen component, is absorbed by the body before the gas gets into the intestines. By the time the air reaches the large intestine, most of what is left is nitrogen. Chemical reactions between stomach acid and intestinal fluids may produce carbon dioxide, which is also a component of air and a product of bacterial action. Bacteria also produce hydrogen and methane.

But the relative proportions of these gases that emerge from our anal opening depend on several factors: what we ate, how much air we swallowed, what kinds of bacteria we have in our intestines, and how long we hold in the fart.

The longer a fart is held in, the larger the proportion of inert nitrogen it contains, because the other gases tend to be absorbed into the bloodstream through the walls of the intestine.

A nervous person who swallows a lot of air and who moves stuff through his digestive system rapidly may have a lot of oxygen in his farts, because his body didn't have time to absorb the oxygen.

According to Dr. James L. A. Roth, the author of Gastrointestinal Gas (Ch. 17 in Gastroenterology, v. 4, 1976) most people (2/3 of adults) pass farts that contain no methane. If both parents are methane producers, their children have a 95% chance of being producers as well. The reason for this is apparently unknown. Some researchers suspect a genetic influence, whereas others think the ability is due to environmental factors. However, all methane in any farts comes from bacterial action and not from human cells.

What makes farts stink?

The odor of farts comes from small amounts of hydrogen sulfide gas and mercaptans in the mixture. These compounds contain sulfur. Nitrogen-rich compounds such as skatole and indole also add to the stench of farts. The more sulfur-rich your diet, the more sulfides and mercaptans will be produced by the bacteria in your guts, and the more your farts will stink. Foods such as cauliflower, eggs and meat are notorious for producing smelly farts, whereas beans produce large amounts of not particularly stinky farts.

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Perkara yang satu ini memang suka jadi pangkal "keributan". Apalagi kalau bunyi khasnya itu terpaksa meletup tanpa kompromi di tengah kerumunan dalam lift, angkot, atau suasana hening suatu meeting. Bisa kacau suasana. Apa dan bagaimana duduk perkara si biang kerok bernama kentut yang tak pernah wangi aromanya itu?

Bahasa kerennya sih flatus (Latin), yang juga bisa berarti angin sepoi-sepoi. Atau flatulence (Inggris), gas dalam perut. Kandungan "kentucky" - ini bahasa gaulnya - tak lain campuran aneka gas. Ada nitrogen, karbon dioksida, oksigen, metan, dan hidrogen sulfida yang beriringan di perut, sebelum ber-hasil lolos lewat "kutub selatan" menuju udara bebas.

Bertiupnya "angin semilir" itu terjadi bila kita kelewat banyak menelan udara atau mengonsumsi makanan yang sulit dicerna, sehingga gas terjebak di rongga perut. Satu-satunya pintu keluar gratis, ya, Cuma lewat sono. Biang kerok aroma bak tumpukan sampah yang membusuk itu jelas gas hidrogen sulfida. Maklum, disitu terkandung belerang, sehingga angin "kentucky" itu jadi setengah mati "sedapnya".

Makin banyak kandungan belerang yang masuk perut (lewat makanan), kian besar kemungkinannya beraroma aduhai sampai hidung tetangga kelimpungan. Makanan seperti kacang-kacangan, kubis, keju, soda, dan telur divonis punya andil besar dalam perkara ini. Bertiup 16 kali sehari, itu normalnya. Kalau lebih, wah, bisa menjadi saingan gajah. Kita tahu, binatang bongsor ini terkenal sebagai satwa paling boros buang angin. Mirip orang habis minum jamu antiangin, wes-hewes-hewes, bablas angine.

Untunglah, masa paling produktif terjadi saat orang sedang terlelap. Aman, baunya tak mengganggu tetangga sebangsa dan setanah air yang juga lagi tidur.

Jelas, semua orang punya potensi, dan cewek punya frekuensi sama banyaknya dengan cowok, dalam hal melepas "bom angin". Kalau pada cewek jarang menimbulkan keresahan sosial, itu lantaran mereka sering lebih sopan. Bagaimana enggak, jika merasa ingin, mereka buru-buru cari tempat aman. Mungkin takut diledek, "cantik-cantik kok doyan kentut?"

Berhati-hatilah. Jika gas buang yang berembus dari "knalpot" anda terlalu kental kadar gas metan dan hidrogennya, dampaknya bisa mengerikan. Kedua gas itu bisa terbakar jika tersulut api.

Hayo, ngaku aja, siapa yang "kentucky" nih?