catenation

1. The spontaneous linking of certain chemical elements to each other, such as carbon to make rings or chains.
   
   
2. The linking of multiple copies of a macromolecule to each other.

From the BioTech Dictionary at http://biotech.icmb.utexas.edu/. For further information see the BioTech homenode.

Cat`e*na"tion (?), n. [L. catenatio.]

Connection of links or union of parts, as in a chain; a regular or connected series. See Concatenation.

Sir T. Browne.

© Webster 1913.