Plain-English definitions of terms used across PeptideInfo.io. Add new terms in alphabetical order.
- Agonist
- A substance that attaches to a receptor and switches it on. Semaglutide is a GLP-1 receptor agonist.
- Amino acid
- A building block of peptides and proteins. Humans use 20 standard amino acids.
- Bioavailability
- The share of a dose that reaches the bloodstream. Most peptides have low bioavailability when swallowed.
- Certificate of analysis (COA)
- A lab report on one batch of product. See what a COA tells you.
- Compounding
- Custom mixing of a drug by a pharmacy. The FDA does not approve compounded drugs.
- GLP-1
- Glucagon-like peptide-1, a gut hormone that raises insulin release and reduces appetite.
- Half-life
- The time it takes for half of a drug to leave the blood.
- HPLC
- High-performance liquid chromatography, a lab method that measures purity.
- In vitro
- Done in a dish or test tube, not in a living animal or person.
- In vivo
- Done in a living animal or person.
- Peptide
- A short chain of amino acids, usually 2 to about 50. See what are peptides.
- Placebo
- An inactive treatment given to a comparison group in a trial.
- Randomized controlled trial (RCT)
- A study that assigns people by chance to a treatment or comparison group. The strongest single study design.
- Receptor
- A protein on or in a cell that responds when a specific molecule attaches to it.
- Research use only (RUO)
- A label on products not approved or made for human use. See what RUO means.
- Secretagogue
- A substance that makes a gland release a hormone, such as growth hormone.
- Subcutaneous
- Injected into the fat layer under the skin.
- WADA
- The World Anti-Doping Agency, which publishes the list of substances banned in sport.