Interactive 3-D Molecules

Use your mouse to have some fun with the molecule. Left click on the molecule and spin it around. Right click on the molecule and choose from the menu. And if you really want to have fun - press the shift key, left click, then move the mouse. If you can't see the molecule then you need to download the chime plug-in that works with Netscape and Internet Explorer. The download time is short.

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Cocaine (C₁₇H₂₁NO₄)
This molecule is found in the leaves of the coca plant, native to the Andes. Cocaine stimulates the central nervous system, but is highly addictive. In experiments, monkeys have chosen cocaine over food which leads to weight loss, self-mutilation, and death within two weeks.

Aspirin (C₉H₈O₄)
This molecule was first synthesized in 1853, but its value as an pain-reliever was not realized until forty years later when it was put on the market by the Baeyer Company in Germany.

Vitamin B12 (C₆₃H₈₈CoN₁₄O₁₄P)
This molecule is a micronutrient - it is required by the human body in small amounts because we can't produce it ourselves and it is necessary for correct enzyme function.

DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid)
This molecule is found in the chromosomes of cell nuclei and serves as the carrier of genetic information. The arrangement of its atoms represents a chemical code that is exactly reproducible and can direct the development of a cell according to its inheritance and transmit genetic information to future generations.