Peptide: meaning, definitions and examples

Commonly used in biochemistry to describe short chains of amino acid monomers linked by peptide bonds, usually consisting of 2-50 amino acids.

• Scientists are synthesizing a new peptide to test its efficacy against bacterial infections

Refers to parts of a protein, usually obtained through the breakdown or cleavage of a whole protein.

• The researchers studied the protein fragment to understand its role in cellular signaling pathways

A more general term to describe any length of amino acids linked together, whether in the form of a short peptide or a long polypeptide.

• The amino acid chain needs to be accurately sequenced to determine the protein structure

Used to describe longer chains of amino acids, generally more than 50, and often refers to components of proteins.

• The polypeptide chain folds into a specific three-dimensional structure to form a functional protein