Guanidine Monohydrochloride is a chemical compound that is commonly used in biochemistry and pharmacology studies. The spelling of this word can be a bit tricky due to the presence of several consonants and complex vowel sounds. In IPA phonetic transcription, it is spelled as /ɡwɑːnɪdiːn mɒnoʊhaɪdrɵklɔːraɪd/. The word starts with a voiced velar plosive /ɡ/ followed by a labio-velar approximant /w/. The middle part consists of an open-mid front unrounded vowel /ɑː/, a dental nasal /n/, a close anterior unrounded vowel /iː/, a dental plosive /d/, and an open-mid back rounded vowel /ɒ/. Finally, it ends with a combination of a labial nasal
Guanidine monohydrochloride is a chemical compound with the molecular formula CH5N3.HCl. It belongs to the guanidine family of organic compounds, characterized by the presence of a guanidinium cation. Guanidine monohydrochloride is a white crystalline solid that is highly soluble in water, making it easy to dissolve in various solvents.
This compound is primarily used in biochemical and molecular biology research applications due to its ability to denature proteins and nucleic acids. It is commonly employed as a protein denaturant, disrupting the structure and function of proteins by breaking down hydrogen bonds and disulfide bridges, ultimately resulting in the unfolding of the protein. Guanidine monohydrochloride is often used during protein purification processes to solubilize and denature proteins, facilitating their separation from other cellular components.
In addition to its protein denaturing properties, guanidine monohydrochloride is also utilized as a chaotropic agent, meaning it disrupts the structure and stability of water molecules. This property is crucial in molecular biology experiments, such as DNA and RNA extraction, where the compound is used to break the hydrogen bonds between water molecules and nucleic acids, thereby enabling their precipitation and isolation.
Guanidine monohydrochloride is generally considered a hazardous substance and should be handled with caution. It is important to follow proper safety protocols, including the use of protective equipment, when working with this compound.
The word "Guanidine Monohydrochloride" is a chemical compound made up of two parts: "Guanidine" and "Monohydrochloride".
- Guanidine: The term "guanidine" comes from the compound's original source, guanine, a nucleobase found in DNA and RNA. Guanine, in turn, was named in the 19th century after the guano, a nitrogen-rich substance derived from bird excrement, from which it was first isolated.
- Monohydrochloride: "Mono" means one, indicating the presence of a single hydrogen chloride (HCl) molecule. "Hydrochloride" references the compound's formation by the addition of hydrochloric acid (HCl) to guanidine, resulting in the salt-like compound guanidine monohydrochloride.