reversible in science

[yanna]

I'm having a problem understanding what the scientific term reversible and irreversible means. Can anyone explain it in an easy to understand way>

Thanks

[sandybrown]

Water, ice, melt the ice water.

Water, boil the water, steam, gone in the air, no more water!

Boil water, collect the steam, cool it, more water?

Car travelling in one direction, want to change direction, reverse it.

In human body, no one car look at some of our organ conditions. Blood test can give some answers. Scans can give some answers.

In some health problem by controlling what goes in the mouth humans can get benefit by slowing down the process of health problem without medication. Medication can cure it.

Paper has many use. Burn the paper, ash, all gone. Not reversible!

[SueMulk]

Reversible is something that can be changed e.g. by changing your diet or getting more exercise. Irreversible is something that can not be changed.

Conditions due to being over weight are often reversible if you manage to diet / exercise and lose weight. So blood pressure, cholesterol etc. will generally come down if you lose weight although this is not always true.

However, if you have lost a finger in an accident, you are not able to regrow a finger so this is irreversible damage.

[yanna in reply to SueMulk]

Hi bala and SueMulk;

My bad! I think I need to show you what I'm talking about: follow the link below or just read what I have copied. It is mentioning reversible and irreversibility. I'm not sure exactly what it is saying. Maybe you could decipher? THANKS

link.springer.com/article/1...

"When aspirin was taken daily for seven days, the associated increase in PFA-100 closure time was three times higher than that associated with a single aspirin dose. The cumulative antiplatelet effect of aspirin when taken daily is well known and reflects its irreversible disabling of platelet COX-1 and associated signalling. Fruitflow®’s effects are not cumulative in this way, as its effects do not irreversibly disable platelet signalling pathways. Thus, taking the results for the study population as a whole, daily aspirin supplementation may be viewed as approximately three times as efficacious as daily Fruitflow® supplementation, due to the irreversibility of its action. "

[Penel in reply to yanna]

The "irreversible disabling of platelets" means that aspirin stops the effects of platelets for the length of time it takes the body to renew its platelets, which is at about 10% a day. "Fruit flow" doesn't do this.

[yanna in reply to Penel]

ok thanks. Let me think on it a little. I might have another question on this

[Anotherview]

Reversible - Process, or chemical reaction which can be easily reversed, i.e. back to status quo (as it was before).

Irreversible - Process, or chemical reaction which cannot be reversed. Once it is done, it is done.

If you say, for example that Diabetes is reversible - it would mean that your diabetes can be made to go away. Damage which is irreversible - means that the damage cannot be fixed back to its original condition - but that does not mean it cannot be controlled such that no further damage occurs.

Hope this helps.

[yanna in reply to Anotherview]

thank you! Now it makes sense!