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Chemistry
In chemistry, a dimer refers to a molecule composed of two similar subunits or monomers linked together. It is a special case of a polymer. It can refer to halide chemistry, involving halogen bonding. Its more common usage refers to dimers as certain types of sugar: sucrose, for example, is a dimer of a glucose molecule and a fructose molecule.
A physical dimer is a term that designates the case where intermolecular interaction brings two identical molecules closer together than other molecules. There are no covalent bonds between the physical dimer molecules. Acetic acid is such a case where hydrogen bonds provide the interaction.
Biochemistry
In biochemistry and molecular biology, dimers of macromolecules like proteins and nucleic acids are often observed. The dimerization of identical subunits is called homodimerization, the dimerization of different subunits or unrelated monomers is called heterodimerization. Most dimers in biochemistry are not connected by covalent bonds with the exception of disulfide bridges.
Examples
- Nucleic acids:
- Proteins:
See also
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