This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Freyr (talk | contribs) at 17:39, 14 May 2005 (rv revert). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.
Revision as of 17:39, 14 May 2005 by Freyr (talk | contribs) (rv revert)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)
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.