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Glite Dictionary
heteroatom

heteroatom

1 9.3
An atom in a molecule that is not carbon or hydrogen
  • noun
  • /ˈhɛtərəˌætəm/
  • Specialized
: heteroátomo
  • Compounds containing a heteroatom often exhibit unique properties compared to those made purely of carbon and hydrogen.

Examples

  • In organic chemistry, a heteroatom such as nitrogen can greatly influence a molecule's reactivity.

  • And so the heteroatoms can be included if you use a different value of alpha.

  • Understanding the role of a heteroatom in a molecular structure is essential for predicting its chemical behavior.

Surface Forms

heteroatom singular
heteroatoms plural

Morphology

heteroatom = atom (semi-transparent) = hetero + atom

Formally compositional (hetero- 'different/other' + atom), but 'hetero-' is a technical combining form in chemistry and not fully familiar to general learners, and the specific chemical exclusion (not carbon or hydrogen) is specialized.

Etymology

Heteroatom comes from hetero- meaning 'different', as in heterogeneous, and atom meaning 'small part'. So a heteroatom is an atom in a molecule that is 'different' from the usual carbon and hydrogen, and that 'different' atom often changes how the molecule behaves.