My art and science project is characterized by the painted image of two tongues none other than the iconic rolling stones logo on a mat black background. The red play-dough is molded on top of the tongues of the logo creating a 3D aspect to the artwork. Different shaped keys were glued to two-sized cylindrical plastic containers. The tongue on the left side has a circle shaped mold in which the larger of the two keys fits. Also, it has as a "SWEET" sign in block letters stuck on top of the logo. The right tongue, contrarily to the one on the left, has a large square mold which doesn't agree with its circle-shaped key and no wording at the top.

Through my artwork, I wanted to portray artificial sweeteners as an analogy of a lock and key mechanism. The key represents the sugar molecule that comes in different shapes and sizes. The lock on the other hand, represents the active site of the sugar receptor protein also called the active site of enzymes. In the artwork, the play-dough, once molded into the shape of the key, plays the role of the lock in question. And so, if the correct key (the substrate) fits into the correct lock (the active site of enzymes), then they are geometrically compatible. This triggers a signal that is transmitted to the right side of the brain telling the consumer that they have eaten something sweet. The left tongue illustrates this idea: the principal key has the correct shape of the lock and fits into it. This allows the transmission of the signal to the brain resulting in the "SWEET" sign. The keys are large because they are meant to be the main focus. Plus, the fact that they are stuck on cylindrical boxes permits a better grip when putting them in and out of the key's mold (the lock). The sign is very striking since its letters are covered in colorful beads and erasers in shapes of ice cream and donuts. This was done to show the pleasure and surprise we get when we eat something sweet. However, the reason for there not being a "SWEET" sign over the right logo is because the shape of the principal key does not agree with the shape of the lock and therefore, does not fit in the mold. There is an absence of geometric compatibility and consequently, no signal channeled to the brain. As a result, the consumer feels no sweet sensation.

This analogy for artificial sweeteners, through the artwork, emphasises on the complexity of the substrate's shape and the selective role of the active site of enzymes. That is why the keys used in the artwork are different. The existence of the sweet sensation is determined by the ability of the substrate's shape to harmonize with the active site enzyme. For that reason, the primary big idea that is behind artificial sweeteners is Molecular shape is crucial in Chemistry. The substrate follows the VSEPR theory in order to obtain and mimic a sucrose molecule so it can fit into the active site normally destined to bind sucrose. Its shape is determined by the configuration of valence electrons that each of the elements that make up the sugar molecule contain. The number of valence electrons that each element has follows a periodic trend since elements of the same group have the same number of valence electrons. This is the big idea of Elements display periodicity. This big idea is tied to Chemical bonds form when electrons are paired and thus, linked to artificial sweeteners since electronegativity, also a periodic trend is studied to predict the nature of the bonds.

Although the intermediate steps that happen between the placing of the key and the transmission of the signal resulting in the sweet sensation are not evident to illustrate, it is important to know that, if the substrate has the corresponding shape of the active site's, there is a chemical reaction. In fact, the enzymes that act as catalysts and help the sugar molecules to dissolve quicker. Enzymes will thus attach to the substrate molecule where they cause covalent or hydrogen bonds to break apart. This alters the substrate chemically into a different substance. This is the big idea of There is residual forces between molecules since there is an interaction between the bonds and how they break. This meeting point is the inside of the lock (the flat circled and squared surface) in the artwork. In the second case (the right logo with the squared lock), when the substrate comes in contact with the substrate, no bonds are broken. Lastly, the big idea of There are only four types of reaction is present in artificial sweeteners. More precisely, the synthesis reaction is undergone since enzymes are protein molecules.

To conclude, ever since the appearance of the first artificial sweetener was created and put on the market in American in the 50s, it has revolutioned our diet. Artificial sweeteners, as a result, haven't ceased to spike our curiosity due to their special mechanism. The lock and key mechanism is a good analogy that explains its mechanism while conveying many of the big ideas in chemistry such as: Molecular shape, periodicity, chemical bonds, residual forces and four chemical reactions.