conformation

n.

1. The act of conforming or the state of being conformed.
2. The structure or outline of an item or entity, determined by the arrangement of its parts.
3. A symmetrical arrangement of the parts of a thing.
4. One of the spatial arrangements of atoms in a molecule that can come about through free rotation of the atoms about a single chemical bond.

conformational con'for·ma'tion·al adj.
conformationally con'for·ma'tion·al·ly adv.

One of the very large number of possible spatial arrangements of atoms that can be interconverted by rotation about a single bond in a molecule. In the case of ethane, H₃C-CH₃, one methyl group can rotate relative to the other. There are two extreme cases. In one, the C-H bonds on one group align with the C-H bonds on the other (as viewed along the C-C bond). This is an eclipsed conformation (or eclipsing conformation) and corresponds to a maximum in a graph of potential energy against rotation angle. In the other the C-H bonds on one group bisect the angle between two C-H bonds on the other. This is a staggered conformation (or bisecting conformation) and corresponds to a minimum in the potential-energy curve. In the case of ethane, the energy difference between the two conformations is small (2.8 kcal/mole) and effective free rotation occurs under normal conditions.

In the case of butane, rotation can occur about the bond between the second and third carbon atoms, MeH₂C-CH₂Me. The highest maximum occurs when the methyl groups are eclipsed (they are at their closest). Maxima of lower energies occur when the methyl groups on one carbon atom eclipse the hydrogen atoms on the other. The lowest potential energy occurs when a C-Me bond bisects the angle between the C-H bonds (i.e. the two methyl groups are furthest apart). This is called the anti conformation. A lesser minimum occurs when the methyl group bisects the angle between a C-H bond and a C-Me bond. This arrangement is called the gauche conformation.

Similar rotational arrangements occur in other types of molecule. For instance, in a compound such as R₃C-CHO, with a C=O double bond, one conformation has the C=O bond bisecting the angle between C-R bonds. This is called the bisecting conformation (note that the C-H bond eclipses one of the C-R bonds in this case). The other has the C=O bond eclipsing a C-R bond. This is the eclipsed or eclipsing conformation. (In this case the C-H bond bisects the angle between the C-R bonds.)

See also torsion angle; ring conformations.

Conformations of butane (sawhorse projection)



Conformations of R₃CHO (Newman projection)

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noun

1. The act of making suitable to an end or the condition of being made suitable to an end: accommodation, adaptation, adaption, adjustment. See change/persist.
2. The act or state of agreeing or conforming: accordance, agreement, chime, conformance, conformity, congruence, congruity, correspondence, harmonization, harmony, keeping. See agree/disagree.

Symmetry, size and shape of the various body regions relative to each other or the general appearance of the animal in terms of satisfying the observer's appreciation of what is a desirable appearance. Most breed societies issue lists of desirable and undesirable points of conformation. Most of them are desirable. Some are not and react adversely on the animals’ well-being. Desirable conformation may also be indicated by diagrams or photographs.
Also may refer to the spatial arrangement of atoms in a molecule.

• mitochondrial c. — mitochondria may be in an abnormal state of condensed conformation, detected by comparison with mitochondria of orthodox status; orthodox conformation is linked to inactive oxidase phosphorylation, condensed to active phosphorylation.

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Dansk (Danish)
n. - form, tilpasning, struktur

Nederlands (Dutch)
aanpassing, structuur

Français (French)
n. - (gén, Anat, Géol) conformation, (Chim) conformation

Deutsch (German)
n. - Anpassung, Gestalt(gebung)

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - διαμόρφωση, σχηματισμός, συμμόρφωση

Italiano (Italian)
adattamento, struttura, conformazione

Português (Portuguese)
n. - conformação (f)

Русский (Russian)
структура

Español (Spanish)
n. - conformación, adaptación, ajuste, estructura

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - bildning, form, anpassning

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
构造, 调和的组成, 形态

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 構造, 調和的組成, 形態

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 구조, 균형 잡힌 배치, 일치

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 構造, 形態, 整合, 適合

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) تكوين, تشكيل, تركيب‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮מבנה, צורה, הסתגלות‬

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