Glossary
carbachol
A cholinergic agonist capable of stimulating insulin release even under low glucose conditions.
carbohydrate
An organic molecule that constitutes a major class of nutrients from foods like breads, fruit, vegetables, and dairy products. Typically, carbohydrates are divided into two classes: simple (mono- and di-saccharides) and complex (polysaccharides). Simple carbohydrates are sugars such as glucose, fructose, and sucrose, while complex carbohydrates include cellulose, glycogen, and starch.
carboxy-terminus
The end of a (poly)peptide chain. It is composed of the free Cα carboxyl group of the last amino acid in the peptide chain.
chromosome
The large and complex assembly of DNA and protein found in the cell nucleus (in eukaryotes). The genetic information of all organisms is located in the genes that are a subset of DNA, and therefore a subset of chromosomes (in the case of eukaryotes).
C-peptide
A post-translational cleavage product in the reaction from proinsulin to insulin.
