chain
[chān] a collection of objects linked together in linear fashion, or end to end, as the assemblage of atoms or radicals in a chemical compound, or an assemblage of individual bacterial cells.
branched chain an open chain of atoms, usually carbon, with one or more side chains attached to it.
closed chain several atoms linked together so as to form a ring, which may be saturated, as in cyclopentane, or aromatic, as in benzene.
J chain a polypeptide occurring in polymeric IgM and IgA molecules.
L chain (
light chain) either of the two small polypeptide chains (molecular weight 22,000) that, when linked to
H or
heavy chains by disulfide bonds, make up the antibody molecule of an
immunoglobulin monomer; they are of two types, kappa and lambda, which are unrelated to immunoglobulin class differences.
open chain a series of atoms united in a straight line; components of this series are related to methane.
chain reaction a chemical reaction that is self-propagating; each time a free radical is destroyed a new one is formed.
side chain a group of atoms attached to a larger chain or to a ring.
Miller-Keane Encyclopedia and Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing, and Allied Health, Seventh Edition. © 2003 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier, Inc. All rights reserved.
chain
(chān) 1. chemistry A series of atoms held together by one or more covalent bonds.
2. bacteriology A linear arrangement of living cells that have divided in one plane and remain attached to each other.
3. A series of reactions.
4. anatomy A linked series of structures, e.g., ossicular chain, chain ganglia.
See also:
sympathetic trunk Medical Dictionary for the Health Professions and Nursing © Farlex 2012