oligomer

American  

[uh-lig-uh-mer] / əˈlɪg ə mər /

noun

Chemistry.

1. a polymer molecule consisting of a small number of monomers.

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oligomer British  

/ ɒˈlɪɡəmə /

noun

1. a compound of relatively low molecular weight containing up to five monomer units Compare polymer copolymer

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oligomer Scientific  

/ ə-lĭg′ə-mər /

1. A molecule that consists of a relatively small and specifiable number of monomers (usually less than five). Unlike a polymer, if one of the monomers is removed from an oligomer, its chemical properties are altered.

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Other Word Forms

• oligomeric adjective

Etymology

Origin of oligomer

First recorded in 1965–70; oligo- + -mer

Example Sentences

"We identified a distinct amyloid beta oligomer subtype that appears inside neurons and on nearby reactive astrocytes very early in the disease," Kranz said.

From Science Daily

This difference suggests a strong connection between oligomer growth and disease progression.

From Science Daily

Their findings reveal a previously unknown dinucleotide binding pocket within the DnaA oligomer, where two bases of a repeating DnaA-trio sequence tightly bind, enabling the capture of a single DNA strand.

From Science Daily

The direction of light-induced changes is also unusual, since for other Cry proteins only the reverse process has been described, i.e., from monomer arrangements in the dark to dimer or higher oligomer arrangements in the light.

From Science Daily

Since then, annual NIH support for studies labeled “amyloid, oligomer, and Alzheimer’s” has risen from near zero to $287 million in 2021.

From Science Magazine