long-chain molecule
- noun
- Specialized
:
molécula de cadena larga
- In general, natural gas is the end result of the "cracking" (i.e., breaking up) of the original long-chain molecules of petroleum that had once been various biological materials into shorter and shorter pieces as a result of the application of heat and pressure from the thousands of meters of sediments overlying the organic material.
Examples
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The most intriguing conclusion of this line of reasoning is that among the long-chain molecules could be precursors of molecules needed for life.
Academic text (2004) -
Faster than the eye can follow, the first long-chain molecule starts to shift and mutate.
Fiction book (1996) -
So this product selectivity, I, I told you before that those small metalline molecules form long chain molecules and all.
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For example, long-chain molecules that use carbon as the key connecting link appear both in interstellar space and in all forms of life.
Academic text (1991) -
Lipson is a polymer chemist who, by definition, deals with long-chain molecules composed of repeating structural units.
Blog text (17) -
Many plastics are made from long-chain molecules that provide strength and durability.
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In biochemistry, long-chain molecules play a crucial role in the structure of cell membranes.
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Researchers are studying how long-chain molecules can be used to create more efficient fuel sources.
Synonyms
38
6.3
A very large molecule made of many small repeated parts, like plastics or proteins
1
5.1
A line of many atoms, usually carbon, joined together in a molecule
Surface Forms
Morphology
long-chain + molecule
The compound is compositionally built: 'long' + 'chain' describes the structure of the 'molecule', so the meaning 'a molecule with a long sequence of bonded atoms' is directly inferable from the constituents. This straightforward adjectival compounding is a common, cross-linguistic pattern in technical vocabulary, so a B1 learner who knows the parts will understand it.
Etymology
The term long-chain molecule gives a simple picture: imagine many tiny atoms like beads on a string forming a long chain. That's why long-chain molecule means 'a molecule made of many atoms joined together', like the large molecules used in plastics.