Capsid
The protein shell that encloses the viral genome; rod-shaped, polyhedral, or more
completely shaped.
Capsule
A slimy layer around the cells of certain bacteria.
Copulatory
Coupled; joined
Carapace
A hard bony or chitinous outer covering, such as the fused dorsal plates of a turtle or the
portion of the exoskeleton covering the head and thorax of a crustacean.
Carbohydrate
A sugar (monosaccharide) or one of its dimers (disaccharides) or polymers
(polysaccharides).
Carbohydrates
Compounds,, such as cellulose, sugar, and starch, that contain only carbon, hydrogen, and
oxygen, and are a major part of the diets of people and other animals.
Carbon cycle
Worldwide circulation and reutilization of carbon atoms, chiefly due to metabolic processes
of living organisms. Inorganic carbon, in the form of carbon dioxide, is incorporated into
organic compounds by photosynthetic organisms; when the organic compounds are broken
down in respiration, carbon dioxide is released. Large quantities of carbon are "stored" in
the seas and the atmosphere, as well as in fossil fuel deposits.
Carbon fixation
The incorporation of carbon from CO 2 into an organic comspound by an autotrophic
organism (a plant, another photosynthetic organism, or a chemoautotrophic bacterium).
Carbonyl group
A functional group present in aldehydes and ketones, consisting of a carbon atom double-
bonded to an oxygen atom.
Carboxyl group
A functional group present in organic acids, consisting of a single carbon atom double-
bonded to an oxygen atom and also bonded to a hydroxyl group.
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