This collection of chemical and molecular structures has been assembled to help students explore chemicals that elicit a sense of heat and/or pain by binding certain receptors. All the chemical and molecular structures below can be viewed in Molecule World on the iPad or Molecule World for iPhone.
Structures in the collection
| Type | Description | Download structure |
|---|---|---|
| An MW Collection |
 Receptors for capsaicin and wasabi, and capsaicin, wasabi, and spider toxin. Use the link on the right to download all the structures at once. |
 hot_stuff.mwc |
| PubChem |
 Capsaicin is a chemical made by chili peppers that contributes to a sensation of heat. |
capsaicin.sdf.gz |
| MMDB |
Capsaicin receptor, also called the TrpVI Ion channel. |
3J5P.cn3 |
| MMDB |
 Capsaicin receptor bound to spider toxin. |
3J5Q.cn3 |
| MMDB |
 The "double-knot" spider toxin binds to the TrpV receptor and causes a sensation of heat and pain. |
Huwentoxin.cn3 |
| MMDB |
 TrpA1 ion channel. Allyl isothiocyanate from wasabi binds to this receptor and causes a sensation of heat and pain. |
3J9P.cn3 |
| PubChem |
 Allyl isothiocyanate is the chemical in wasabi that creates a sensation of heat. |
allyl_isothiocyanate.sdf.gz |