NOT MEDICAL ADVICE. No information on this site should be considered medical advice. Research peptides are not intended for human consumption — in-vitro lab use only. Consult a physician prior to introducing anything into the human body.
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Research Peptide Glossary

Every term you will meet on this site — and in vendor listings — explained in plain language.

A–B

  • Bacteriostatic water (BAC): sterile water with 0.9% benzyl alcohol, which inhibits bacterial growth and allows multi-puncture use of a vial.
  • Bioassay: a test of biological activity (what a compound does) as opposed to chemical identity.

C–E

  • Certificate of Analysis (COA): a document reporting test results for a batch. Value depends entirely on who produced it and whether it matches your actual batch — see the COA Guide.
  • Desiccant: moisture-absorbing packet; moisture is a major degradation driver for lyophilized peptides.
  • Endotoxin: bacterial lipopolysaccharide contamination that can cause febrile reactions. Tested in EU/mL; low is the goal.
  • Excipient: inactive bulking/stabilizing agents (e.g. mannitol) sometimes present in the peptide cake.

H–L

  • Half-life: time for circulating levels to drop by 50%; drives dosing frequency — see Half-Life & Dosing.
  • HPLC (High-Performance Liquid Chromatography): the standard method for purity analysis; a real HPLC report shows a chromatogram with a main peak and a % purity figure.
  • Lyophilization (freeze-drying): the process of freezing a peptide solution and sublimating the water under vacuum, leaving a stable powder cake.

M–R

  • Mass spectrometry (MS): measures molecular weight to confirm the peptide is what it claims to be — identity testing, complementary to HPLC purity.
  • Peptide: a short chain of amino acids (typically < ~50 residues), distinct from proteins by length.
  • Purity (%): the fraction of the material that is the target peptide. 98%+ HPLC purity is common in quality product claims; purity ≠ sterility and ≠ identity.
  • Reconstitution: adding solvent to lyophilized powder to return it to solution — see the Guide.

S–Z

  • Secretagogue: a compound that stimulates release of a hormone (e.g. GH secretagogues stimulate growth hormone release).
  • Sterile water: water with no preservative — single-use or short-use only after puncturing.
  • Units (syringe): insulin syringes are marked 0–100 units per mL; dosing math is typically done in units.
  • Vendor-free: content produced without commercial relationship to peptide vendors — this site's editorial stance.