See Also: Conjugation(medicine)
conjugation(dictionary)
conjugation(encyclopedia)
conjugation(dictionary)
bacterial conjugation(medicine)
conjugation, genetic(medicine)

conjugation (sh)




Interaction of adjacent bonds in a chemical compound having alternating single and double covalent bonds.

The conjugated bonds show modified characteristics because of increased electron delocalization and sharing. Conjugation occurs, for example, within a molecule containing a chain of carbon atoms linked by alternating single and double bonds. Such a conjugated system often gives rise to substances with intense colours
e.g., the biological pigments called carotenes. Another example is the carboxyl group (see carboxylic acid; functional group), in which the double bond of the carbonyl group (¨DC=O) is adjacent to the single bond attaching the hydroxyl group (¨DOH) to the carbon atom.