| C-terminus | The end of a peptide or protein having a free carboxyl (-COOH) group. (05 Mar 2000) |
|---|---|
| N-terminus | <biochemistry> The end of a protein or polypeptide chain with the unattached amino group or the aminoacyl residue containing it. Each amino acid in the chain has an amino group on one side, which is attached to the carboxyl group (COOH group) of the previous amino acid, and a carboxyl group on the other side (which is attached to the amino group of the next amino acid). The other end of the polypeptide chain is called the carboxyl terminal. Synonym: NH2-terminal. (14 Aug 2000) |
| terminus | Origin: L. See Term. 1. Literally, a boundary; a border; a limit. 2. The Roman divinity who presided over boundaries, whose statue was properly a short pillar terminating in the bust of a man, woman, satyr, or the like, but often merely a post or stone stuck in the ground on a boundary line. 3. Hence, any post or stone marking a boundary; a term. See Term. 4. Either end of a railroad line; also, the station house, or the town or city, at that place. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |