STPM Biology Biological Molecules (Part 26)

Analytical Techniques - X-ray Diffraction

• This technique is also called an X-ray crystallography. This is used to study 3 dimensional structures of molecules such as DNA, protein, myoglobin and other polymers.
• This technique was first used by Sir Lawrence Bragg who discovered the structure of sodium chloride. He bombarded sodium chloride crystal with x-ray and studied the x-ray pattern that was produced.
  

Technique:

X-ray diffraction technique

Process of X-ray diffraction technique

The main problem of this technique is the study and analysis of the X-ray diffraction patterns produced, But now, with the help of computers, a more correct structure of the molecules can be deduced.