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open chain

   Also found in: Dictionary/thesaurus, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.03 sec.
chain (chān) a collection of objects linked end to end.
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.
electron transport chain  the final common pathway of biological oxidation, the series of electron carriers in the inner mitochondrial membrane that pass electrons from reduced coenzymes to molecular oxygen via sequential redox reactions coupled to proton transport, generating energy for biological processes.
Enlarge picture
Electron transport chain showing the three sites of coupling with oxidative phosphorylation, generating adenosine triphosphate.
H chain , heavy chain any of the large polypeptide chains of five classes that, paired with the light chains, make up the antibody molecule. Heavy chains bear the antigenic determinants that differentiate the immunoglobulin classes.
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 heavy chains by disulfide bonds, make up the antibody molecule; 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; compounds of this series are related to methane.
polypeptide chain  the structural element of protein, consisting of a series of amino acid residues (peptides) joined together by peptide bonds.
respiratory chain  electron transport c.
side chain  a group of atoms attached to a larger chain or to a ring.

open chain
Orthopedics adjective Referring to a series of musculoskeletal links that are free to move on each other but capable of combining to support the body; the chain is said to be open when the distal link is free to move and closed when it is fixed; in OC motion, the calcaneum supinates and pronates about the subtalar joint


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