Atropine An alkaloid, C17H23NO3, with the chemical structure below. The systematic chemical name is endo-(±)-a-(hydroxymethyl) phenylacetic acid 8-methyl- 8-azabicyclo[3.2.l]oct-3-yl ester, and in phamacy it is sometimes known as dlhyoscyamine. It occurs in minute amounts in the leaves of Atropa belladonna, A. betica, Datura stramonium, D. innoxia, and D. sanguinea, as well as many related plants.
Atomic structure and spectra The idea that matter is subdivided into discrete and further indivisible building blocks called atoms dates back to the Greek philosopher Democritus, whose teachings of the 5th century B.C. are commonly accepted as the earliest authenticated ones concerning what has come to be called atomism by students of Greek philosophy. The
Atomic spectrometry A branch of chemical analysis that seeks to determine the composition of a sample in terms of which chemical elements are present and their quantities or concentrations. Unlike other methods of elemental analysis, however, the sample is decomposed into its constituent atoms which are then probed spectroscopically. In routine atomic spectrometry, a device