Tetrapeptides

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A class of molecules consisting of four amino acids linked together in a specific sequence
2. Compounds formed from two or more amino acids, where the entire chain is four units long
3. Biologically relevant sequences that may play roles in cellular functions and communications within the body

Etymology: Peptides were named for a digestive product. The Ancient Greek verb "péptō" meant "to cook" or "to digest," and "peptón" was the digested, soluble stuff that resulted. In the 1800s, German chemists borrowed that sense, and "Pepton" came to name the substances produced when proteins are broken down by digestion. English took up "peptone" from German, and later chemists coined "peptide" for the smaller chains built from amino acids, adding the suffix "-ide," a chemical marker used for many compounds formed by joining units together. "Tetra-" comes from the Greek "téssares," meaning "four," so a tetrapeptide is simply a peptide made of four amino acid units. The prefix and the chemical name were assembled from existing parts rather than being inherited from ancient usage, so the word is a modern technical coinage built on classical roots.

Synonyms: peptides, amino acid chains, polypeptides, biomolecules, oligopeptides