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Glite Dictionary
zwitterionic

zwitterionic

1 9.9
Having both positive and negative charges on different parts of the same molecule
  • adjective
  • /ˌzwɪtərˈaɪnɪk/
  • Specialized
: zwitteriónico
  • The zwitterionic nature of some molecules affects their solubility in water.

Examples

  • The zwitterionic nature of the molecule allows it to interact with both polar and nonpolar substances.

  • Researchers studied the zwitterionic properties of the compound to understand its behavior in solution.

  • At neutral pH, many amino acids exist in a zwitterionic form.

  • Can you explain what a zwitterionic compound is?

  • The zwitterionic molecules are important in biological systems because they can stabilize proteins by providing both positive and negative charges.

  • The zwitterionic phase of the compound ensures that it interacts favorably with both polar and non-polar environments.

  • Scientists often use zwitterionic buffers to maintain a stable pH in experiments involving delicate biomolecules.

Surface Forms

zwitterionic positive

Morphology

zwitterionic = zwitterion (opaque) = zwitter + ion + ion + ic

The adjectival formation from 'zwitterion' + '-ic' is a regular, transparent suffixation, but the base 'zwitterion' is a specialized borrowing and partly opaque to general learners.

Etymology

The word zwitterionic comes from the German word Zwitter, which means 'hybrid' or 'both', and the part ion, which means 'charged particle'. So a zwitterionic molecule carries both positive and negative charges on different parts at the same time.