Differing Aims of Chemical Nomenclature and Lexicography
It is generally understood that the aims of lexicography versus chemical nomenclature vary and are to an extent at odds. Dictionaries of words, whether in traditional print or on the web, collect and report the meanings of words as their uses appear and change over time. For web dictionaries with limited or no formal editorial process, definitions—in this case, definitions of chemical names and terms—can change rapidly without concern for the formal or historical meanings. Chemical nomenclature on the other hand (with IUPAC nomenclature as the best example) is necessarily more restrictive: It aims to standardize communication and practice so that, when a chemical term is used it has a fixed meaning relating to chemical structure, thereby giving insights into chemical properties and derived molecular functions. These differing aims can have profound effects on valid understanding in chemistry, especially with regard to chemical classes that have achieved mass attention. Examples of the impact of these can be seen in considering the examples of:
- resveratrol, a single compound clearly defined by this common name, but that can be confused, popularly, with its cis-isomer,
- omega-3 fatty acids, a reasonably well-defined chemical structure class that is nevertheless broad as a result of its formal definition, and
- polyphenols, a fairly broad structural class with a formal definition, but where mistranslations and general misuse of the term relative to the formal definition has led to serious usage errors, and so ambiguity in the relationship between structure and activity (SAR).
The rapid pace at which meanings can change on the web, in particular for chemical compounds with perceived health benefits, rightly or wrongly ascribed, complicates the matter of maintaining a sound nomenclature (and so access to SAR understanding). A further discussion with specific examples appears in the article on polyphenols, where differing definitions are in use, and there are various, further web definitions and common uses of the word odds with any accepted chemical nomenclature connecting polyphenol structure and bioactivity).
Read more about this topic: Chemical Nomenclature
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