Definition

A type of compound that consists of both a sugar (carbohydrate) and a protein fragment (peptide).

Example

Glycopeptides are important in the study of cell signaling and immune responses.

Conversation

I read an interesting article about glycopeptides yesterday.

Really? What did it say?

It talked about how they can be used in medicine to fight infections.

That sounds fascinating! I had no idea they were so important.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Glycopeptide is formed from "glyco-" (from Greek "glykys", meaning sweet) and "peptide" (from Greek "peptos", meaning digested or cooked). The word refers to a compound that is a peptide with a sugar component, hence a sweet peptide.

Memory Tip

Think of 'sweet' ('glyco-') combined with 'digested' ('peptide') to remember that a glycopeptide is a sweet compound made of sugars and peptides.

Visually Confused Words