| Revision as of 04:48, 6 July 2003 editBryan Derksen (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users95,333 edits one little additional qualification for proteins← Previous edit | Revision as of 20:03, 4 August 2003 edit undoRob Hooft (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users956 editsm nl:Next edit → | ||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
| ] | |||
| <div style="float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em; width:307px;">] <br> A sucrose molecule, which is a dimer consisting of a glucose molecule and a fructose molecule</div> | <div style="float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em; width:307px;">] <br> A sucrose molecule, which is a dimer consisting of a glucose molecule and a fructose molecule</div> | ||
Revision as of 20:03, 4 August 2003
A sucrose molecule, which is a dimer consisting of a glucose molecule and a fructose molecule
A dimer is a molecule composed of two subunits linked together. It is a special case of a polymer. Among the most common dimers are certain types of sugar; sucrose, for example, is a dimer of a glucose molecule and a fructose molecule.
In biology, a dimer is a protein complex made up of two subunits. In a homodimer the two subunits are identical, and in a heterodimer they differ (though they are often still very similar in structure). The subunits do not need to be covalently linked, and usually aren't.