glycoside
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun: A glycoside is a type of molecule in which a sugar group (glycone) is chemically bonded through its anomeric carbon to another, non-sugar group (aglycone or genin) via a glycosidic bond. This large group of compounds is derived from monosaccharides.
Usage
The term is used primarily in biochemistry, chemistry, and pharmacology to classify a specific family of natural products and synthetic compounds. - Digitalis contains cardiac glycosides that affect heart muscle contraction. - Many plant pigments, like anthocyanins, are glycosides. - The researcher isolated a new flavonoid glycoside from the leaf extract.
Advanced Usage
- Naming: Glycosides are often named based on their aglycone (e.g., "anthraquinone glycoside") or the sugar involved (e.g., "glucoside" for glucose, "rhamnoside" for rhamnose).
- Function: In plants, glycosides often serve as storage forms for chemicals or as part of defense mechanisms. The sugar moiety can make the aglycone more water-soluble and less reactive.
Variants and Related Words
- Aglycone/Genin (noun): The non-sugar, "active" part of a glycoside molecule.
- Glycosidic Bond/Linkage (noun): The specific covalent bond connecting the sugar to the aglycone.
- Glucoside (noun): A specific type of glycoside where the sugar component is glucose.
- Glycosylation (noun): The biochemical process of attaching a sugar to another molecule, forming a glycoside.
Synonyms
- Sugar derivative (a broader, less specific term)
- Heteroside (a technical synonym used in some classifications)
Related Phrases/Concepts
- Cardiac glycoside: A class of glycosides that act on the heart, e.g., digoxin.
- Cyanogenic glycoside: A glycoside that can release toxic hydrogen cyanide, e.g., amygdalin in apricot kernels.
- Thioglycoside: A glycoside where the oxygen of the glycosidic bond is replaced by sulfur.
Noun
- a group of compounds derived from monosaccharides