Peptide


A molecule consisting of several linked amino acids

Dipeptides contain two amino acids, tripeptides three, and so on. If ten or more amino acids are linked together, the proper term is polypeptide. One or more polypeptides can form a protein. Naturally occuring peptides include the hormone insulin, the antibiotic penicillin, and the tissue compound glutathione.

See also:
Amino Acids
Proteins

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