moleculares

Moleculares is the Spanish adjective and plural form used to describe phenomena, structures, and processes that involve molecules. The term is commonly used in chemistry, physics, and biology to refer to aspects at the scale of individual molecules, typically around 0.1 to 1 nanometer. The equivalent English term is molecular.

Etymology: from Latin molecula, diminutive of moles (mass), via Spanish adaptations. The usage in scientific nomenclature is widespread in compound nouns such as propiedades moleculares, estructuras moleculares, and interacciones moleculares.

Methods and scope: Investigations of molecular systems employ spectroscopy (infrared, Raman, NMR), diffraction (X-ray), microscopy (atomic force microscopy), and computational modeling (quantum chemistry, molecular dynamics). These approaches aim to determine molecular structure, dynamics, interactions, and energetics.

Applications and significance: Understanding molecular behavior underpins drug design, materials science, biochemistry, and environmental chemistry. The study of molecules explains reaction mechanisms, conformations, and function of biomolecules like proteins and nucleic acids.