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Topic: Chemical formula for Erenumab, etc.  (Read 6132 times)

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13mh13

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Chemical formula for Erenumab, etc.
« on: July 04, 2018, 10:17:06 AM »
On Wikipedia, I noticed the chemical formula for a new migraine drug Erenumab:

C6472H9964N1728O2018S50

It seems other related drugs have similar formulas. I.e. with that many crazy number of atoms in the formula.
The "large" number of atoms is new to me.
Is this a "compound" or a "molecule"?
What's the record for similar large molecules/compounds? 

Offline JGK

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Re: Chemical formula for Erenumab, etc.
« Reply #1 on: July 04, 2018, 11:33:36 AM »
I take Ustekinumab

C6482H10004N1712O2016S46


the mab's are Monolonal Antibodies
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Offline Borek

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Re: Chemical formula for Erenumab, etc.
« Reply #2 on: July 04, 2018, 06:51:32 PM »
These are proteins, made of hundreds (if not thousands) of amino acids. Writing their formulas this way makes about as much sense as sorting all letters in a book, although technically it is correct.
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13mh13

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Re: Chemical formula for Erenumab, etc.
« Reply #3 on: July 05, 2018, 09:26:21 AM »
These are proteins, made of hundreds (if not thousands) of amino acids. Writing their formulas this way makes about as much sense as sorting all letters in a book, although technically it is correct.
Wiki describes its Formula category as:
Quote
A chemical formula is a way of presenting information about the chemical proportions of atoms that constitute a particular chemical compound or molecule...
Are drug formulas molecules or compounds or both/neither?

Offline Arkcon

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Re: Chemical formula for Erenumab, etc.
« Reply #4 on: July 05, 2018, 11:28:52 AM »
Are drug formulas molecules or compounds or both/neither?

Look up, in a textbook on chemistry, or heck, even a schoolbook on 'science', the definitions of 'molecule' and 'compound'.  There are distinctions, but they're not important in this sense.

When the checkout lane at the supermarket says, "Paper or plastic?"  that means something.  No one ever says in that situation, "Bag or sack or container?"  Even though there are definition differences for other situations.
Hey, I'm not judging.  I just like to shoot straight.  I'm a man of science.

Offline P

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Re: Chemical formula for Erenumab, etc.
« Reply #5 on: July 05, 2018, 11:43:29 AM »

Is this a "compound" or a "molecule"?
What's the record for similar large molecules/compounds?

It is both I would think.  All compounds are molecules or contain molecules...  Not all molecules are compounds though  -  can you say why? :-) Can you give an example of a molecule that isn't a compound?
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Offline Corribus

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Re: Chemical formula for Erenumab, etc.
« Reply #6 on: July 05, 2018, 02:16:44 PM »
The analogies used in this thread are amazing.
What men are poets who can speak of Jupiter if he were like a man, but if he is an immense spinning sphere of methane and ammonia must be silent?  - Richard P. Feynman

13mh13

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Re: Chemical formula for Erenumab, etc.
« Reply #7 on: July 08, 2018, 10:42:15 PM »
About the diffs. between molecules and compounds.

I ain't no chemist ... but my gut says if Nature put it together, it's a molecule. If Man (not woman, of course ;) has anything to do with it, it's a compound.

Erenumab is mostly based on Natural amino acids and proteins. But even if it's diff. by one atom, my vote is for compound.

Or is it a 'synthetic molecule'?

Yes, Virginia, I have read thru:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemical_compound
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molecule

Offline hypervalent_iodine

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Re: Chemical formula for Erenumab, etc.
« Reply #8 on: July 08, 2018, 11:03:11 PM »
About the diffs. between molecules and compounds.

I ain't no chemist ... but my gut says if Nature put it together, it's a molecule. If Man (not woman, of course ;) has anything to do with it, it's a compound.


Nope. It has nothing to do with where it come from, only its construction. A molecule generally refers to a discrete unit of atoms bonded together in some way, whereas compounds describe where two or more different types of atoms that cone together to form a bond. They describe very similar things, and as mentioned above it is true that most of the things that we call molecules can also be called compounds, but this is not true in the other direction, nor is it always true. Can you say, based on this, whether the following are molecules, compounds, or both:

N2, NaCl, CH3CO2H

And, er, why not women?

(Edited so as not to give too much away)

Offline P

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Re: Chemical formula for Erenumab, etc.
« Reply #9 on: July 10, 2018, 07:01:39 AM »
About the diffs. between molecules and compounds.

I ain't no chemist ... but my gut says if Nature put it together, it's a molecule. If Man (not woman, of course ;) has anything to do with it, it's a compound.


Nope. It has nothing to do with where it come from, only its construction. A molecule generally refers to a discrete unit of atoms bonded together in some way, whereas compounds describe where two or more different types of atoms that cone together to form a bond. They describe very similar things, and as mentioned above it is true that most of the things that we call molecules can also be called compounds, but this is not true in the other direction, nor is it always true.


Yea - I'll second all that   -  it is basically what I was getting at.  A compound has more than one element in it and is pretty much made of molecules.   A molecule is made from more than one atom. Molecules are compounds if they have more than a single element in them.

Obviously - whether it is man made or naturally occurring bears no relevance whatsoever on the definition.

And, er, why not women?

I guess it was an attempt at humour?  I didn't really get it either.   
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