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heavy chain

noun Immunology.
  1. either of an identical pair of Y-shaped polypeptides that, together with the light chains, constitute the antibody molecule.

Origin of heavy chain

First recorded in 1960–65
Also called H chain
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
British Dictionary definitions for h chain

heavy chain

noun
  1. immunol a type of polypeptide chain present in an immunoglobulin molecule
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
h chain in Medicine

heavy chain

[hĕv′ē]
n.
  1. The larger of the two types of polypeptide chains in immunoglobulins, consisting of an antigen-binding portion having a variable amino acid sequence, and a constant region that defines the antibody class.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
h chain in Science

heavy chain

[hĕv′ē]
  1. The larger of the two types of polypeptide chains in an immunoglobulin molecule. A heavy chain consists of an antigen-binding portion having a variable amino acid sequence, and a constant region that is different for each class of imunoglobulin. Each heavy chain is one of a Y-shaped identical pair and is attached along its variable region to a smaller light chain. Compare light chain.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.