Reagent

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Reactant
)
Reagents, such as sulfur (pictured), are the starting materials used in chemical reactions.

In

substrates
.

Definitions

Organic chemistry

In organic chemistry, the term "reagent" denotes a chemical ingredient (a compound or mixture, typically of inorganic or small organic molecules) introduced to cause the desired transformation of an organic substance. Examples include the Collins reagent, Fenton's reagent, and Grignard reagents.

Analytical chemistry

In

Fehling's reagent, Millon's reagent, and Tollens' reagent
.

Commercial or laboratory preparations

In commercial or laboratory preparations,

electrical resistivity
. Laboratory products which are less pure, but still useful and economical for undemanding work, may be designated as technical, practical, or crude grade to distinguish them from reagent versions.

Biology

In the field of biology, the

model organisms and immortalised cell lines, reagents and methods for molecular cloning and DNA replication, and many others.[3][4]

Tool compounds

Tool compounds are an important class of reagent in biology. They are small molecules or biochemicals like

drug target—but are unlikely to be useful as drugs themselves, and are often starting points in the drug discovery process.[5][6]

However, many natural substances are hits in almost any assay in which they are tested, and therefore not useful as tool compounds. Medicinal chemists class them instead as pan-assay interference compounds. One example is curcumin.[7][8][9]

See also

References

External links

  • Media related to Reagents at Wikimedia Commons
  • The dictionary definition of reactant at Wiktionary