nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide
- noun
- /ˌnɪkəˈtɪnəˌmaɪd ˌædəˈniːn daɪˈnəˌkliːoʊt/
- Specialized
:
dinucleótido de nicotinamida y adenina
- The scientist explained that nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide acts as a vital coenzyme in metabolic pathways, enabling energy transfer.
Examples
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One of the substrates of this enzyme is nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD).
Academic text (2018) -
Researchers discovered that nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide plays a key role in cellular respiration by facilitating redox reactions.
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In their study, they highlighted how nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide is essential for various biochemical reactions necessary for cell survival.
Synonyms
7
7.5
A small molecule in cells that helps chemical reactions make energy
Surface Forms
Morphology
nicotinamide + adenine + dinucleotide
The term is a systematic chemical name: knowing 'nicotinamide', 'adenine' and 'dinucleotide' lets a learner infer it is a dinucleotide molecule containing nicotinamide and adenine units. However, the detailed biological role (coenzyme/signalling and regulation of DNA repair, gene expression, ageing) is specialist knowledge not predictable from the constituents, so the composition is clear but the functional meaning is only partially accessible.
Etymology
Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide is a name that tells you what the molecule is made of: nicotinamide from vitamin B3, the base adenine, and dinucleotide, which means two small blocks joined. As a tiny 'helper molecule' it carries electrons between reactions to help cells make energy.