Aspirin in CPK colors
C O H


This is what aspirin looks like at the molecular level. Notice it has a planar 6 carbon ring and two side chains. The dots allow you to see the electron cloud and still see into the structure.

Reset view of aspirin.

Rotate aspirin along its X-axis and then its Y-axis.

Aspirin is made of salicyclic acid
and an acetyl group that protrudes above the plane of the salicylic acid .

The acetyl group is added to the cyclooxygenase enzyme to block the binding of its true substrate.

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© Copyright 2001 Department of Biology, Davidson College, Davidson, NC 28036
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