Reference
Peptide glossary
- Amino acid
- One of the small building blocks that link together to make peptides and proteins. See all 20.
- Peptide
- A short chain of amino acids, usually 2 to about 50. More.
- Peptide bond
- The link between two amino acids, formed when they join and release water. More.
- Polypeptide
- A long, single, unbranched chain of amino acids.
- Protein
- One or more polypeptide chains folded into a working 3D shape. More.
- Residue
- An amino acid once it's part of a chain, minus the water it lost when it joined.
- Sequence
- The order of amino acids in a chain, read from start to finish.
- N-terminus / C-terminus
- The start (free amino end) and the finish (free carboxyl end) of a chain.
- Disulfide bridge
- A link between two cysteine amino acids that ties parts of a chain, or two chains, together.
- Molecular weight
- How much a molecule weighs, in g/mol or daltons. Calculate it.
- Monoisotopic mass
- A molecule's mass using only the most common isotope of each element, as seen by mass spectrometry.
- Solid-phase synthesis
- Building a peptide on a resin bead, one amino acid at a time. More.
- HPLC
- High-performance liquid chromatography, the standard purity test. More.
- Mass spectrometry
- A technique that measures a molecule's mass to confirm its identity.
- COA
- Certificate of analysis: a batch's test results on one page. More.
- Lyophilisation
- Freeze-drying: removing water to leave a long-lasting powder. More.
- Acetylation / amidation
- Small chemical caps added to the start or end of a chain.
- Peptide hormone
- A hormone made of amino acids, such as insulin or oxytocin. More.