A molecule made up of two identical or similar molecular subunits bonded together, like two LEGO blocks snapped together.
From Greek 'di-' (two) and 'meros' (part), literally meaning 'two parts.' The term emerged in chemistry in the early 20th century to describe molecular structures where two monomers combine.
Many proteins in your body work as dimers—hemoglobin is actually a tetramer made of dimeric pairs, and this pairing allows proteins to function in ways they couldn't as single units, like a dance partner being essential for a particular move.
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