In polymer science, the backbone chain or main chain of a polymer is the series of covalently bonded atoms that together create the continuous chain of the molecule.
In polypeptides, the backbone consists of carbon and nitrogen atoms of the constituent amino acids. The backbone does not include the side chains.
Famous quotes containing the word chain:
“The name of the town isn’t important. It’s the one that’s just twenty-eight minutes from the big city. Twenty-three if you catch the morning express. It’s on a river and it’s got houses and stores and churches. And a main street. Nothing fancy like Broadway or Market, just plain Broadway. Drug, dry good, shoes. Those horrible little chain stores that breed like rabbits.”
—Joseph L. Mankiewicz (1909–1993)