What are biofunctional molecules

Biofunctional molecules are those compounds that control such characteristics of organisms as differentiation, growth, metamorphosis, homeostasis, aggregation and reproduction. Both small molecules and macromolecules are used as biofunctional molecules. Chemical synthesis of small biofunctional molecules will be the subject of this book, because I have been engaged in the chemical synthesis of small biofunctional molecules (molecular weight less than 1000) for half a century. 

Biofunctional natural products with low molecular weights are classified as shown in Table 1.1. Chemical studies on vitamins, hormones and antibiotics started in the first half of the 20th century, while those on semiochemicals began in the middle of the 20th century. This book treats the chemical synthesis of hormones, pheromones and other bioregulators such as allelochemicals. 

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