MacMolecule is a program designed for creating 3D-images of molecules
for use in teaching molecular structure to students of biology,
chemistry, and allied fields.

Molecules have defined structures, determined by the types and numbers
of atoms in the molecule, the size of the atoms, the orientation of
the atoms in 3-dimensional space, and the covalent and non-covalent
bonding between atoms. The structure of many molecules have been
solved by X- ray crystallography. Databases have been established as
repositories of known structures.

All students of biology and chemistry study molecular structure. In
beginning biology courses, we begin with discussions of the structure
of small biological molecules such as amino acids, lipids,
nucleotides, sterols, sugars, and vitamins. This is followed by
analysis of the structure of larger molecules, particularly proteins,
DNA and RNA. Almost all chemistry and biology textbooks illustrate
relevant chapters with molecular structure diagrams and space-filling
models. Biochemistry texts include images of protein secondary
structure features, including the alpha-helix, beta-sheet, and
collagen helix. Protein and enzyme structure is illustrated with
molecules like myoglobin, ferredoxin, or lysozyme. Molecular biology
and genetics lessons begin with a consideration of the Watson-Crick
structure for the DNA double helix. The problem with a textbook-based
approach for students is the difficulty in learning 3-dimensional
concepts. Students are limited to a single 2D-molecular perspective.
Color usage to distinguish different atoms is often minimal, and
relatively few molecules are illustrated due to publishing costs. The
instructor in the classroom often must teach molecular structure by
drawing on the chalkboard or using black and white overhead
transparencies.

With MacMolecule 1.5/1.7, instructors and students can use data from
molecular structure databases, and create color 3D-space models of the
small and large molecules on the computer screen in one of three user-
selectable formats, space-filling, ball-and-stick, and wire frame.
Learning is self-paced and participatory. Users can use pre-existing
image data files or create their own molecular models by writing
simple ASCII files with data on atomic coordinates and identification
of covalent bonds. Users are then able to interactively rotate the
image in the X, Y, and Z coordinates on the computer screen. "What-if"
questions are possible, since data files can be user modified with a
text editor. Rotating the molecule on the screen is either via mouse
movement, or automated by defined steps in the X, Y, and Z coordinates
via a dialog box. With automated molecule movement, the images can be
saved to disk as a sequence of PICS images that can be re-played from
MacMolecule 1.7 as an animation sequence, or exported to run in other
programs. The ability to create and play back animations of molecules
rotating in 3-space is currently built into the software. Animated
sequences created in MacMolecule 1.7 can now be converted to QuickTime
files for use in other Macintosh applications that support the
QuickTime file format.

[Review of MacMolecule 1.7][1]
[Chemistry tutorial using MacMolecule 1][2]

DL #1 is MacMolecule 1.7.

DL #2 is MacMolecule 1.5

See also: [MacMolecule 2][3].

Compatibility
Architecture: 68k

Macintosh
68020 processor or higher (Macintosh SE/30, II, IIx, IIcx, IIci, or
IIfx and Quadra)
FPU required
Macintosh System 6.05 or higher (32-bit Quickdraw required)

  [1]: http://science.uniserve.edu.au/newsletter/vol6/denyer.html
  [2]: http://terpconnect.umd.edu/~toh/Chem121/MacMolecule.html
  [3]: http://macintoshgarden.org/apps/macmolecule-2