Top 10 Commonly Confused Words in Protein Crystallography

Top 10 Commonly Confused Words in Protein Crystallography 1. Crystal vs. Crystallography The first pair of words that often causes confusion is 'crystal' and 'crystallography.' A crystal is a solid material with a repeating, ordered arrangement of atoms, while crystallography is the study of crystals' structure and properties. So, while a crystal refers to the material itself, crystallography focuses on understanding its internal arrangement. 2. Resolution vs. Residue Next, we have 'resolution' and 'residue.' Resolution refers to the level of detail or clarity in an image or structure, while a residue is a specific amino acid or nucleotide in a protein or nucleic acid sequence. So, resolution deals with the quality of the image, while a residue is a component of the molecule itself. 3. Symmetry vs. Space Group Moving on, 'symmetry' and 'space group' are often used interchangeably, but they have distinct meanings. Symmetry refers to the repetitive patterns or operations that leave a crystal's appearance unchanged, while a space group describes the arrangement of multiple unit cells in a crystal lattice. So, symmetry deals with the individual unit cell, while a space group considers the entire crystal structure. 4. Anisotropy vs. Isotropy Anisotropy and isotropy are terms used to describe the properties of a crystal. Anisotropy means that a property, such as the refractive index, varies with direction, while isotropy indicates that the property is the same in all directions. So, anisotropy refers to directional dependence, while isotropy implies uniformity. 5. Packing vs. Packed