Molecular modelling aspirin structures

Molecular model and structure of aspirin. The analgesic action is thought to arise because aspirin interferes with the synthesis of prostaglandins, which are hormones involved in the transmission of pain signals. 

M Figure 1.24 (a) A molecular model of aspirin, the highlighted portion of the molecule is transferred when aspirin deactivates the COX-2 enzyme, (b) Molecular model of a potential new "super-aspirin" whose molecular structure is related to that of aspirin. 

Top Structural formula of aspirin (acetylsalicylicacid),a well-known headache remedy. Note the acidic hydrogen atom (in color). Bottom Molecular model of aspirin. 

Molecular formulas give information only about what makes up a compound. The molecular formula for aspirin is C9H8O4. Additional information can be shown by using different models, such as the ones for aspirin shown in Figure 17. A structural formula shows how the atoms are connected, but the two-dimensional model does not show the molecule s true shape. The distances between atoms and the angles between them are more realistic in a three-dimensional ball-and-stick model. However, a space-filling model attempts to represent the actual sizes of the atoms and not just their relative positions. A hand-held model can provide even more information than models shown on the flat surface of the page. 

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