1. Natural vs. Synthetic

2. What’s the difference? Natural means it came directly from nature
Synthetic means that a human made it

3. Natural vs. Synthetic Fabric or “Textiles”

4. More about natural and synthetic fibers

5. Fabrics and Textiles used for clothing, shoes, raingear, tents, camping gear, parachutes, ropes, fishing nets
NATURAL: silk, cotton, linen, wool
SYNTHETIC: rayon, polyester, spandex, nylon, lycra
Made from animal fur or plant materials
Made from chemicals
Plastic (petroleum)

6. NATURAL: silk, cotton, linen, wool
Moisture-wicking wool
Nontoxic
Breathable
Insulating
Expensive to produce
Use up natural resources
Shrink when you wash them
Wear out quickly
Wrinkle easily

7. SYNTHETIC: rayon, polyester, spandex, nylon, lycra
Light-weight
Slippery feel
Water-resistant
Durable/strong
Cheaper to produce
Made from chemicals
Production can cause pollution
Not biodegradable/recyclable

8. Natural vs. Synthetic Vitamines

9. Insulin is a medicine that can be made naturally or synthetically
Helps us use the sugar from the foods we eat
Some people can’t make insulin, so they have to inject it or take a pill
Treats Diabetes
Can get it from pigs, but it’s also made synthetically in a lab
Natural Insulin Molecule
Synthetic Insulin Molecule

10. What about artificial water? Is it safe to drink?
Artificial means it was made in a lab, so if we put two hydrogen atoms and an oxygen atom together in a lab and got water, it would be ARTIFICIAL water.
What would be the main difference in artificial and natural water?
Just the way it was made.
It still has the same atoms…it’s the same molecule.

11. IMPORTANT THING!! WRITE THIS DOWN!!
If a synthetic material has the same chemical structure as a naturally occurring material, they have the same properties.
The only difference in natural and synthetic medicine is the process used to make them.

12. Foxglove Flower Poisonous if eaten fresh.
Digitalis is a medicine that is made from this poisonous flower.
Treats heart failure by making the heart pump harder which improves circulation.

13. Natural vs. Synthetic Vanilla Flavoring

14. Natural vs. Synthetic Diamonds