Nomenclature, representation of chemical structures and basic terminology

Chapter 5 Nomenclature, representation of chemical structures and basic terminology



You now know how atoms join together to form larger, more complex molecules. The more complex the molecule the more difficult it becomes to draw. It is, however, possible to describe the structure of a compound no matter how big it is. So how are these diverse chemicals differentiated from one another?


The system of words used to name compounds is called nomenclature. The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) has developed a standard approach to naming compounds.


You are unlikely ever to be called on to name a compound, but you might well see compounds named in scientific papers or pharmacology books. Although at first this might seem overwhelming, particularly if the compound is very complex, it is not as bad as it seems. The standardized naming system incorporates a logical numbering system, which, like shorthand, enables someone familiar with the system to visualize the precise structure of even the most complex compound.


On occasions, you might see the old-style nomenclature that was used before the IUPAC system. This is still generally understood by the scientific community, despite the IUPAC system being the favoured one. In the course of this chapter this older system will also be discussed.


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Jul 22, 2016 | Posted by in PHARMACY | Comments Off on Nomenclature, representation of chemical structures and basic terminology

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