Precise Atomic Structures of two Important Molecules in Biochemistry:
Raji Heyrovská, Saraswathi Narayan, Lakshmi Atchison · Nature Precedings · 2011
Abstract This work celebrates the “International Year of Chemistry – 2011”, by providing “for the first time”, the structures at the atomic level of two important molecules, namely, ascorbic acid and aspirin. Ascorbic acid, also known as vitamin C, was discovered as a cure for scurvy which claimed many human lives and hence got its name. It is also supposed to be an antioxidant and to prevent flu. Aspirin is synthesized from salicylic acid and is widely used as a remedy for flu and has other medical uses such as saving the lives of cardiac patients as an anticoagulant of blood. The biochemistry and chemistry of both these compounds have been evolving for nearly a century ever since their discoveries. Here, the atomic structures of these compounds have been presented where the known lengths of the various chemical bonds are exact sums of the appropriate radii of the adjacent atoms.