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molecule
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
molecule
noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
a chain of atoms/molecules etctechnical:
▪ Most fabrics are made of long chains of molecules.
COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS
■ ADJECTIVE
complex
▪ Indeed, many of the complex molecules of which they are composed would be liable to fall apart.
▪ One idea that has been suggested is that the precursors of life - complex organic molecules - arrived here from outer space.
▪ We know, too, that meteorites often do contain complex organic molecules.
▪ They contain complex organic molecules; but they are not just bundles of organic molecules.
▪ All the different complex organic molecules work together to form the entire organism.
▪ None the less, simple systems are widely used to do abinitio calculations accurate enough to answer important questions for reasonably complex molecules.
▪ Once self-replication had got under way molecules could pile on other more complex molecules in a loose association.
▪ For more complex molecules in whose spectra vibrational detail is not resolved, assignments are difficult to make.
different
▪ Since different molecules absorb different colours, this microscope can be used to make a microscopic chemical analysis of the surface.
▪ Indeed, no relationship between the vibration frequencies of different molecules is logically necessary.
▪ The new separator relies on electrophoresis: different molecules are pulled off in different directions toward positive or negative electrodes.
▪ All the different complex organic molecules work together to form the entire organism.
▪ Families of cell adhesion molecules Many different cell adhesion molecules have been described.
▪ Sometimes, different protein molecules will fit together, like the pieces of a three-dimensional jigsaw, to form larger-scale structures.
large
▪ This is because of the large number of molecules involved.
▪ More modern laser techniques allow much more subtle experiments to be applied to both small and large unstable molecules in flow systems.
▪ This breaking down of the large molecules to smaller ones is the job of enzymes.
▪ Proteins are strings of 20 kinds of amino acids, which usually fold up to form a large globular molecule.
▪ It trapped inside the cell the building blocks of raw materials such as amino acids which were converted into larger molecules.
▪ This early form of life was probably a large molecule.
▪ More importantly the larger molecules manufactured inside the cell were later to be called the dna.
▪ What were needed, and gradually emerged between 1900 and 1940, were technical methods for investigating large molecules.
linear
▪ This consists, basically, of, in other words it is a linear long-chain molecule much like Figure 7.
▪ For all but linear molecules, external molecular motions - 3 translations and 3 rotations - account for 6 of these.
▪ A linear molecule has only two rotations, and so it has 3N - 5 vibrational modes.
▪ A simple case is that of the linear molecule.
▪ Again linear symmetrical molecules are best.
organic
▪ Chemists now know how to make most organic molecules in the laboratory, but the name has stuck.
▪ One idea that has been suggested is that the precursors of life - complex organic molecules - arrived here from outer space.
▪ Tannins, another kind of organic molecule, are used in the oil industry to make muds easier to drill.
▪ When this happened, say Hoyle and Wickramasinghe, the organic molecules within the comets were spewed out over the land.
▪ We know, too, that meteorites often do contain complex organic molecules.
▪ Geologists believe that oil and coal are composed of organic molecules because they themselves are derived from living things.
▪ None of these organic molecules shows evidence of originating from living matter.
▪ But although organic molecules are the essential components of modern living things, they can not in isolation be considered living.
other
▪ Normally the forces from one molecule are counterbalanced by equal attraction by other molecules but at an interface the forces become unbalanced.
▪ The range of distances found for the other four molecules is given in parentheses.
▪ Once self-replication had got under way molecules could pile on other more complex molecules in a loose association.
▪ Ethylene is the feedstock from which other molecules are built by the chemical industry.
▪ Each then acts as a template to which other simpler molecules become attached until each has once more become a double helix.
simple
▪ The root mean square speeds of some simple molecules are shown in table 3.2.
▪ In fact, they are rather simple molecules, the structure of which has long been known.
▪ All of them ultimately start out as two very simple molecules, carbon dioxide and water.
▪ Each then acts as a template to which other simpler molecules become attached until each has once more become a double helix.
single
▪ At this scale, a single ethanol molecule is roughly the size of a corpulent Labrador retriever.
▪ Chapter 2 presents a concise description of near-field imaging and spectroscopy of single molecules on solid surfaces.
▪ A single enzyme molecule can make many millions of single isomer product molecules per minute in a chemical reactor.
small
▪ LabVision features interactive 3D building and editing of small molecules as well as proteins, carbohydrates, and nucleic acids.
▪ The smaller sized molecules can slip in between the larger ones.
▪ These give only limited vibrational information, and then only for small molecules.
▪ Amino-acid sequencing is limited to smaller molecules, for example the endogenous opioid met-enkephalin with a molecular weight of 573.
▪ Both are chains of small molecules called nucleotides.
▪ This process is particularly effective where small molecules are involved, for the band-shapes and vibrational structure are often characteristic.
▪ The fluidity of liquids consisting of large molecules is lower than those consisting of small molecules.
▪ The smaller molecule acids are soluble in water.
solvent
▪ Sometimes specific intermolecular complexes are formed, either between two sample molecules or between sample and solvent molecules.
■ NOUN
adhesion
▪ Flexibility and the location of ligand-binding sites close to the top of adhesion molecules may be a general feature of their organization.
▪ Special molecules called adhesion molecules guide the migration of developing neurons and help them to make stable connections to other neurons.
▪ This suggests a possible tumour suppressor function for this cell adhesion molecule.
▪ However, the final, as yet small, family of cell adhesion molecules bind to carbohydrates.
▪ An altered expression of such adhesion molecules may influence the aggressiveness of local infiltrative growth and metastasis in human cancers.
▪ Families of cell adhesion molecules Many different cell adhesion molecules have been described.
▪ Cell adhesion and disease adhesion molecule deficiency A number of rare diseases result from defects in adhesion molecules.
dna
▪ It replicates itself, making two DNA molecules where before there was one; and it makes protein.
▪ After all, the DNA molecule is one continuous chain of bases, and without punctuation, the code would be nonsensical.
▪ We have seen that DNA molecules are the centre of a spectacular information technology.
▪ In fact, only about five per cent of each DNA molecule actually provides any meaningful code.
▪ In cell division the spiral appears, as well as in the DNA molecule in the cell nucleus.
▪ The messages that DNA molecules contain are all but eternal when seen against the time scale of individual lifetimes.
▪ These four bases provide the only source of variation in the DNA molecule.
protein
▪ They are smaller molecules than proteins, so they have to become attached to a protein molecule before they are activated.
▪ One experiment produced crystals of protein molecules that drug company researchers believe could advance the development of antiviral drugs.
▪ These slightly altered protein molecules are mass-produced by the protein-making machines inside the developing brain cells.
▪ The antibodies are protein molecules that can fit on to an allergen and inactivate it.
▪ Some protein molecules are simply too large for microbes to handle.
▪ Research has however shown that in terms of the arrangement of the protein molecules this model is no longer accurate.
▪ Synthesizing any new protein molecule from scratch takes a matter of minutes.
▪ Sometimes, different protein molecules will fit together, like the pieces of a three-dimensional jigsaw, to form larger-scale structures.
receptor
▪ The receptor molecules are conduits for information, with one end outside the cell and the other inside.
▪ When the right neurotransmitter docks with the appropriate receptor, the physical structure of the receptor molecule changes.
▪ More messages make them more active, and more likely to add phosphate to receptor molecules.
▪ The neurotransmitter sticks to the receptor molecule, and together they are able to open a pore in the cell membrane.
▪ The result is fewer receptor molecules.
▪ There are at least two types of postsynaptic channels that open up when glutamate binds to their receptor molecules.
▪ Before a virus can infect an animal cell it must first bind to specific receptor molecules embedded in the cell membrane.
water
▪ Tritium's radiation passes easily into the human body because it is carried by water molecules.
▪ This charge meshes nicely with the slight positive charge on one side of water molecules.
▪ The wax molecules carry no charge and repel water molecules, which are charged.
▪ Hence when a current is applied, the positively charged ions move toward the cathode carrying water molecules with them.
▪ Light energy from the sun is absorbed by the chlorophyll in the leaves and the water molecules are split.
▪ That is because there are small empty pockets around the water molecules.
▪ But not only water molecules will fit into these cavities.
▪ The tiny molecules of the salt fit into the spaces between the water molecules and do not take up extra space.
■ VERB
bind
▪ Before a virus can infect an animal cell it must first bind to specific receptor molecules embedded in the cell membrane.
contain
▪ We know, too, that meteorites often do contain complex organic molecules.
▪ They contain complex organic molecules; but they are not just bundles of organic molecules.
▪ Many organic binders contain molecules which fluoresce when excited by ultra-violet radiation.
▪ We will also see the development of health-promoting foods that contain specific fatty acid molecules.
form
▪ The sub-atomic particles are arranged to form the atoms, and different numbers, types and arrangements of atoms form the molecules.
▪ A second laser forms new molecules.
▪ Proteins are strings of 20 kinds of amino acids, which usually fold up to form a large globular molecule.
move
▪ A gas exerts pressure because its molecules are moving about rapidly and in random directions.
▪ As the molecules move and bump into adjacent molecules, they also move.
▪ It depends upon mobility; molecules moving from one part of the structure to another.
▪ As the molecules move and bump into adjacent molecules, they also move.
▪ Equally, the skin is pushed out in the direction that the molecule was first moving.
▪ The products of the reaction have a great deal of energy-their molecules are moving at very high speeds.
▪ The effect of raising the temperature is to make the individual molecules move faster, so that collisions can overcome the activation energy.
produce
▪ The developing round peas produce a vital molecule, called starch-branching enzyme, which builds up complex starch molecules from sugar.
▪ One experiment produced crystals of protein molecules that drug company researchers believe could advance the development of antiviral drugs.
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
▪ a nitrogen molecule
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
▪ A steamy surf of spice-bearing molecules pumped out from the pots on the stove.
▪ Both equations are valid for molecules smaller than when the angular scattering is symmetrical.
▪ But ethanol molecules, because they are so small and stable, are immune to acidic destruction.
▪ By supplying addition molecules of chlorine it is possible to replace all the hydrogen atoms.
▪ Directly ahead you see a huge, globular molecule the size of a two-car garage.
▪ It can replicate because the specificity of base pairing ensures that the daughter molecules are identical to the original one.
▪ Other molecules, the happens, also generate an immune response.
▪ The alternative conformation extends away from the molecule, stabilized by crystal contacts.
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Molecule

Molecule \Mol"e*cule\, n. [Dim. fr. L. moles a mass: cf. F. mol['e]cule. See 3d Mole.]

  1. One of the very small invisible particles of which all ordinary matter is supposed to consist.

  2. (Physics) The smallest part of any substance which possesses the characteristic properties and qualities of that substance, and which can exist alone in a free state.

  3. (Chem.) A group of atoms so united and combined by chemical affinity that they form a complete, integrated whole, being the smallest portion of any particular compound that can exist in a free state; as, a molecule of water consists of two atoms of hydrogen and one of oxygen. Cf. Atom.

Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
molecule

1794, "extremely minute particle," from French molécule (1670s), from Modern Latin molecula, diminutive of Latin moles "mass, barrier" (see mole (3)). A vague meaning at first; the vogue for the word (used until late 18c. only in Latin form) can be traced to the philosophy of Descartes. First used of Modern Latin molecula in modern scientific sense by Amedeo Avogadro (1811).

Wiktionary
molecule

n. (context chemistry English) The smallest particle of a specific element or compound that retains the chemical properties of that element or compound; two or more atoms held together by chemical bonds.

Related phrases:
WordNet
molecule

  1. n. (physics and chemistry) the simplest structural unit of an element or compound

  2. (nontechnical usage) a tiny piece of anything [syn: atom, particle, corpuscle, mote, speck]

Related phrases:
Wikipedia
Molecule

A molecule is an electrically neutral group of two or more atoms held together by chemical bonds. Molecules are distinguished from ions by their lack of electrical charge. However, in quantum physics, organic chemistry, and biochemistry, the term molecule is often used less strictly, also being applied to polyatomic ions.

In the kinetic theory of gases, the term molecule is often used for any gaseous particle regardless of its composition. According to this definition, noble gas atoms are considered molecules as they are in fact monoatomic molecules.

A molecule may be homonuclear, that is, it consists of atoms of a single chemical element, as with oxygen (O); or it may be heteronuclear, a chemical compound composed of more than one element, as with water (HO). Atoms and complexes connected by non-covalent bonds such as hydrogen bonds or ionic bonds are generally not considered single molecules.

Molecules as components of matter are common in organic substances (and therefore biochemistry). They also make up most of the oceans and atmosphere. However, the majority of familiar solid substances on Earth, including most of the minerals that make up the crust, mantle, and core of the Earth, contain many chemical bonds, but are not made of identifiable molecules. Also, no typical molecule can be defined for ionic crystals ( salts) and covalent crystals ( network solids), although these are often composed of repeating unit cells that extend either in a plane (such as in graphene) or three-dimensionally (such as in diamond, quartz, or sodium chloride). The theme of repeated unit-cellular-structure also holds for most condensed phases with metallic bonding, which means that solid metals are also not made of molecules. In glasses (solids that exist in a vitreous disordered state), atoms may also be held together by chemical bonds without presence of any definable molecule, but also without any of the regularity of repeating units that characterizes crystals.

Usage examples of "molecule".

Slight imperfections in the match were negotiated by a jostling crowd of donor or acceptor molecules.

But when the atoms come under the influence of the higher-level morphogenetic field of a molecule, these probabilities are modified in such a way that the probability of events leading toward the actualization of the final form are enhanced, while the probability of other events is diminished.

Virtually all the food and oxygen you take into your body are delivered, after processing, to the mitochondria, where they are converted into a molecule called adenosine triphosphate, or ATP.

Though burdened by the giant molecules, his sympathetic nervous system and adrenal glands, which were particularly affected in others, were quite indifferent to the asps.

They lie here trapped in glass, little two-carbon aliphatic molecules that can drown regret, banish fear, and ease the ache of conscience.

The molecule of estrone, for instance, differs from that of androsterone only in the presence of three double bonds and in the absence of carbon-ig.

But if the relation of liquids to their vapors be that here shadowed forth, if in both cases the molecule asserts itself to be the dominant factor, then the dispersion of the water of our seas and rivers, as invisible aqueous vapor in our atmosphere, does not annul the action of the molecules on solar and terrestrial heat.

These crystals were analyzed and it was reported that within each secretin molecule there existed 3 lysines, 2 arginines, 2 prolines, i histi-dine, i glutamic acid, i aspartic acid, and i methionine.

We link the astatine isotope to carrier molecules that seek out the disseminated microscopic cancers in your brain.

Inhaled sodium azide goes into the lungs and directly into the blood, where its molecules bond with oxygen molecules and render the oxygen unusable.

Ever since the first dab of living substance was brewed up in the amino-acid-tainted soups of azoic oceans on our primordial Earth, and the first simple prototypes of the double-helix DNA molecules of heredity appeared, biological forms have been becoming more complex--learning, acquiring more know-how.

Bit by bit, loosened molecule by loosened molecule, in accordance with the patient, relentless laws of chemistry, the sinew slowly dissolved, weakening the bond which held the compressed, contorted, sharpened baleen, until the slender bond broke.

Apparently the molecule caused a very complex cascade effect, in which the release of certain biogenic amines caused the release of other chemicals, and so on.

Plus we need to get the molecule from Bowden and put that in the same escrow.

The chloroplasts of a plant cell-small green particles containing chlorophyll-absorb the energy of sunlight to split water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen atoms.