organic molecules

Cultural  

1. The smallest units of organic compounds. Important examples of these molecules are based on chains of carbon atoms and come in four major categories: proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, and nucleic acids (DNA and RNA).

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Example Sentences

The organic molecules are not definitive evidence of past life, the NASA-led team emphasised, because they could also have formed on the red planet or crash-landed on meteorites.

From Barron's • Apr. 21, 2026

The experiment, conducted in 2020, detected more than 20 organic molecules, including several that had never before been confirmed on Mars.

From Barron's • Apr. 21, 2026

Despite this history of water interaction, the researchers found that fragile organic molecules were still preserved.

From Science Daily • Mar. 31, 2026

Another advantage of metal-organic frameworks: You can create them using a huge variety of metals and organic molecules.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 27, 2026

How, in the absence of life, were carbon-based organic molecules made?

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan