6. Glossary

Macromolecules; macromolecules

The concept of macromolecules was introduced in 1922 by a German chemist. Hermann Staudinger, who defined them as chains of equivalent units or monomers linked together by covalent bonds. They are characterized by their high molar mass. There are macromolecules of synthetic origin (plastics, rubber, polymers) and biopolymers (proteins, nucleic acids, viruses, etc.),

Mass spectrometry; mass spectrométrie

This is a characterization and analysis technique based on the differences in m/z mass/charge ratios of charged fragments derived from the parent molecule and produced by fragmentation or ionization. Ionization methods are chosen according to the nature of the compound to be analyzed. For biological macromolecules, for example, the most widely used ionization methods are electrospray...