Tetracycline
Also called Achromycin, Tetracyn, Cyclopar and Deschlorobiomycin.
The antibiotic that named a whole family. It binds to calcium, which is why it stains developing teeth.
Sources and notes
- The introductionfrom sourceMoleculeFinder curated
- Other namesfrom sourceWikidataIts English label and aliases on Wikidata.
- Formula and weightcomputedPubChem
- 2D drawingcomputedPubChem structure, drawn by RDKit
- 3D modelfrom sourcePubChem 3D conformerLoaded after the page has painted, and on a phone only when you ask for it; the 2D drawing shows until it arrives.
Where you encounter it
Dispensed on prescription, not sold on a shelf.
Sources and notes
- The line abovefrom sourceMoleculeFinder curatedFrom the group the molecule belongs to.
Explore its structure
Choose a part to light it up.
A C=O bonded to a nitrogen, the same link that joins amino acids in a protein. It is sturdy, and its nitrogen is not a base the way an amine's is.
From: standard chemistry.
A C=O with a carbon on each side. Its oxygen accepts hydrogen bonds but has no hydrogen to give, and it resists oxidation better than an aldehyde.
From: standard chemistry.
An O-H fixed directly to a benzene ring. The ring makes that hydrogen easier to give up than an ordinary alcohol's, which is why many phenols act as antioxidants.
From: standard chemistry.
Sources and notes
- The drawingcomputedPubChem structure, drawn by RDKitThe page's one shipped drawing, with the chosen part lit in amber under it.
- The partscomputedFound by ruleEach part is found by a chemical pattern, never picked by hand atom by atom; its words say where they come from.
Properties and sources
Calculated by PubChem
- Molecular formula
- C22H24N2O8
- Molecular weight
- 444.4 g/mol
- XLogP3octanol/water, log units
- −2
- Polar surface areatopological
- 182 Ų
- H-bond donors
- 6
- H-bond acceptors
- 9
- Rotatable bonds
- 2
- Complexity
- 971
Reported Licence
The US Food and Drug Administration licenses Tetracycline for human use (NDA 050278, authorized October 8, 1957), as Achromycin V. Drugs@FDA
Groups it belongs to
- Category
- Prescription medicine
- Family
- Antibiotics
- Elements
- Nitrogen
C[C@@]1([C@H]2C[C@H]3[C@@H](C(=O)C(=C([C@]3(C(=O…88 charactersPubChem CID 54675776 · Wikidata Q193045 · InChIKey NWXMGUDVXFXRIG-WESIUVDSSA-N · Data refreshed
Questions
- What is Tetracycline?
- The antibiotic that named a whole family. It binds to calcium, which is why it stains developing teeth.
- What kind of molecule is Tetracycline?
- Tetracycline has the formula C22H24N2O8 and a molecular weight of 444.4 g/mol. MoleculeFinder files it under antibiotics, in the prescription medicine group. from sourcefrom sourcefrom sourcefrom source
- What else is Tetracycline called?
- Tetracycline is also called Achromycin, Tetracyn, Cyclopar and Deschlorobiomycin. from source
- Who licenses Tetracycline as a medicine?
- The US Food and Drug Administration licenses Tetracycline for human use (NDA 050278, authorized October 8, 1957), as Achromycin V. from source
Sources and notes
- Calculated valuescomputedPubChemComputed from the structure, so no laboratory conditions apply; complexity is PubChem's own structural score.
- Licencefrom sourceDrugs@FDARead 2026-10-21.
- Data refreshedfrom sourceMoleculeFinder2026-11-09
Keep exploring
Sources and notes
- The same kind of moleculefrom sourceMoleculeFinder curated groupsA structural neighbour in the same family or type group; the line names the group in its own words.
- The drawingscomputedPubChem structures, drawn by RDKit