Title: kappa-light chain
Long Title: IUPAC Gold Book - kappa-light chain
DOI: 10.1351/goldbook.13358
Status: current

Definition
Smaller of the two types of light chain found in human immunoglobulins (Ig), the other type being a lambda ($\uplambda\!$)-light chain.

Related Terms
- Bence–Jones protein: https://goldbook.iupac.org//terms/view/12947
- lambda (λ)-light chain: https://goldbook.iupac.org//terms/view/13372
- light chain: https://goldbook.iupac.org//terms/view/13386

Source
- PAC, 2012, 84, 1113. 'IUPAC glossary of terms used in immunotoxicology (IUPAC Recommendations 2012)' on page 1198 (https://doi.org/10.1351/PAC-REC-11-06-03)

Other Outputs
- html: https://goldbook.iupac.org/terms/view/13358/html
- json: https://goldbook.iupac.org/terms/view/13358/json
- xml: https://goldbook.iupac.org/terms/view/13358/xml

Citation: Citation: 'kappa-light chain' in IUPAC Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 5th ed. International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry; 2025. Online version 5.0.0, 2025. 10.1351/goldbook.13358
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Disclaimer: The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) is continuously reviewing and, where needed, updating terms in the Compendium of Chemical Terminology (the IUPAC Gold Book). Users of these terms are encouraged to include the version of a term with its use and to check regularly for updates to term definitions that you are using.
Accessed: 2026-07-13T02:51:31+00:00