Glossary
Peptide Glossary A–Z
Plain-language definitions of the terms you'll encounter across research peptide literature, spec sheets, and the rest of the Tidemaxxing catalogue.
A
- AMPK
- AMP-activated protein kinase. Cellular energy sensor that activates catabolic pathways and is a target of several longevity peptides including MOTS-c.
- Amylin
- Peptide hormone co-secreted with insulin from pancreatic beta cells. Regulates satiety and gastric emptying through a distinct pathway from GLP-1. Cagrilintide is a long-acting amylin analog.
- Angiogenesis
- Formation of new blood vessels from existing ones. Driven by VEGF signaling. Relevant to tissue-repair peptides like BPC-157.
B
- Bacteriostatic water (bac water)
- Sterile water containing 0.9% benzyl alcohol as a preservative. Used to reconstitute lyophilized peptides. Keeps reconstituted solutions stable for ~28 days refrigerated.
C
- Certificate of Analysis (COA)
- Lab document reporting purity, identity, and contaminant testing for a specific lot. Should be independent (third-party) and lot-matched to the vial.
D
- DAC (Drug Affinity Complex)
- Modification that extends a peptide's half-life by binding to serum albumin. CJC-1295 with DAC has a multi-day half-life; CJC-1295 no-DAC has a short pulse profile.
G
- GHRH
- Growth hormone–releasing hormone. Hypothalamic peptide that stimulates GH release from the pituitary. Tesamorelin and CJC-1295 are GHRH analogs.
- Ghrelin receptor
- Also called GHS-R. Activated by ghrelin and by growth-hormone secretagogues like ipamorelin, GHRP-6, and hexarelin. Drives GH release by a mechanism complementary to GHRH.
- GHK-Cu
- Glycyl-histidyl-lysine copper tripeptide. A copper-binding peptide studied for collagen synthesis, skin remodeling, and vascular signaling.
- GIP
- Glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide. Incretin hormone. Tirzepatide adds GIP activation to GLP-1 for dual-agonist metabolic effects.
- GLP-1
- Glucagon-like peptide 1. Incretin hormone that slows gastric emptying, enhances insulin secretion, and engages central appetite regulation. Semaglutide is a GLP-1 agonist.
- Glucagon receptor
- Third receptor added by retatrutide (GLP-1 + GIP + glucagon). Glucagon increases energy expenditure, balancing the insulinotropic effects of GLP-1 and GIP.
H
- HPLC
- High-performance liquid chromatography. Standard purity assay for peptides. Look for HPLC results on COAs; anything under 98% is low-tier for research.
I
- Incretin
- Gut-derived hormones (GLP-1, GIP) that enhance insulin secretion after eating. The drug target of semaglutide, tirzepatide, and retatrutide.
- IU (International Unit)
- Activity-based dosing unit used for some peptides (HCG, HGH). Not interchangeable with mg — consult the specific compound's spec sheet.
L
- Lyophilization
- Freeze-drying. Removes water from a peptide solution to yield a dry powder (cake) with long shelf life. Reconstitute with bac water before use.
M
- MOTS-c
- Mitochondrial-derived peptide. Short ORF encoded within mitochondrial DNA. Studied for AMPK activation and metabolic/longevity endpoints.
N
- NAD+
- Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide. Not a peptide itself but a related research compound in the longevity space — substrate for sirtuins and PARPs.
P
- Peptide
- A short chain of amino acids (roughly 2–50). Distinguished from proteins by size. Research peptides in this catalogue are synthesised to pharmaceutical-grade purity.
- PT-141 (Bremelanotide)
- Melanocortin receptor agonist studied for libido and arousal endpoints. MC4R is the primary receptor of interest.
R
- Reconstitution
- The process of dissolving a lyophilized peptide in bac water to create an injectable solution. Add water slowly down the side of the vial; swirl, don't shake.
S
- Secretagogue
- A compound that stimulates secretion of something. Growth-hormone secretagogues (ipamorelin, ibutamoren) stimulate GH release from the pituitary.
- Sirtuin
- Family of NAD+-dependent deacetylases involved in longevity and metabolic regulation. Target of several longevity research programs.
- SS-31 (Elamipretide)
- Small peptide that binds cardiolipin in the inner mitochondrial membrane. Studied for mitochondrial dysfunction models.
- Subcutaneous (SC)
- Injection into the fat layer below the skin. Standard route for most research peptides — slower absorption than IM or IV, less painful.
T
- TB-500
- Synthetic fragment of thymosin beta-4. Drives actin sequestration and cellular migration. Paired with BPC-157 in the canonical soft-tissue repair stack.
- Titration
- Gradually increasing dose over time to let an organism or model adapt. Standard for GLP-1-class compounds to manage GI endpoints.
U
- U-100 syringe
- Insulin syringe calibrated at 100 units per ml. Standard draw tool for subcutaneous research peptide injections. 10 units = 0.1 ml.
V
- VEGF
- Vascular endothelial growth factor. Drives angiogenesis. BPC-157 upregulates VEGFR2 expression.
Related reading
What Are Peptides?
Foundations — what a peptide is and how it differs from a protein.
Read →
Dosage Calculator
Reconstitution math — vial mg, bac water, U-100 units.
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Reconstitution Guide
Step-by-step protocol for dissolving lyophilized vials.
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Peptide Stacks Explained
Why compounds are combined and the canonical stacks.
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Semaglutide vs Tirzepatide vs Retatrutide
Single, dual, and triple agonists compared.
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Full Catalogue
Buy research peptides across all six pathways — 139 compounds.
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Terms in the glossary link directly to the compound families they describe.
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