quaternary (redirected from Quaternary ammonium compounds)

quaternary /qua·ter·nary/ (kwah´ter-nar″e)

1. fourth in order.

2. containing four elements or groups.

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qua·ter·nar·y (kwtr-nr, kw-tûrn-r)

adj.

1. Consisting of four; in fours.

2. Relating to an atom bonded to four carbon atoms.

n.

The member of a group or series that is fourth in order.

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quaternary

[kwot′əner′ē, kwətur′nərē]

Etymology: L, quattuor, four

1  adj, pertaining to a chemical compound in which four atoms or groups of elements are bonded to one atom, such as a quaternary ammonium compound in which four organic radicals are substituted for the four hydrogen molecules on an ammonium ion.

2  n, fourth-level structure in proteins, as in the structure of hemoglobin made up of two alpha-globulins and two beta-globulins.

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quaternary [kwah´ter-nar″e, kwah-ter´nar-e]

1. fourth in a series.

2. made up of four elements or groups.

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quaternary (kwä´turnerē),

adj having four elements. Widely used in medicine, quaternary ammonium salts are molecules containing four alkyl or aryl groups attached to a nitrogen atom.

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quaternary

1. fourth in a series.

2. made up of four elements or groups.

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quaternary ammonium compounds

synthetic cationic detergents commonly used as disinfectants. They act against cell wall lipids in bacteria. An example is benzalkonium chloride. Effective in teat dips for mastitis control. Called also QUATs.

quaternary structure

the arrangement of separate polypeptide subunits in the structure of a multimeric protein.