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My name is akin to my size
Each can be complex or concise
I remain within gaze
In front of your face
Observable under the right eyes

My true prefix is one of a kind
My infixes are aplenty you'll find
Even if one knew
What they attempt to construe
It would take them a very long time

Considering freedom and span
I am not a favourable fan
Yet I still do support you
Will continue to guide you
Hold heavy loads as much as I can

In multiple forms I exist
In strenuous times I assist
With so much potential
I am quintessential

Attempt to unveil me, I insist!

Hint:

I am organic in nature.

Hint:

I am a specific substance.

Hint:

I am named after a god.

Hint:

I am a macromolecule.

Hint:

I lie beneath the skin.

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    $\begingroup$ Love your enthusiasm here Shany, but here's a friendly suggestion (meant well!): Don't go feeling you need to add so many hint stanzas so quickly one after another - there's no rush! Don't forget this is a global community - usually we'ď suggest waiting at least 24 hours before posting a hint, to give everyone a chance to see your puzzle first, wherever they might live... Sit back and enjoy letting the puzzling process take place; it's all part of the fun :) Happy Puzzling! $\endgroup$
    – Stiv
    Commented Feb 17, 2020 at 23:04
  • $\begingroup$ @Stiv Alright, thanks for the advice! I was worried that the post would be flagged as being speculative if I did not add sufficient clues... $\endgroup$
    – shanylong
    Commented Feb 18, 2020 at 1:25
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    $\begingroup$ Nice to meet you, akin to my size. I'm dad. $\endgroup$
    – Ian MacDonald
    Commented Feb 18, 2020 at 17:10

15 Answers 15

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I think you are

Titin - a large protein important in the contraction of muscle tissues. It is an organic macromolecule named after the giant Greek gods, the Titans.

My true prefix is one of a kind, My infixes are aplenty you'll find Even if one knew, What they attempt to construe, It would take them a very long time

The full chemical name of titin, starts methionyl..., contains 189,819 letters and is sometimes stated to be the longest word in any language. Methionyl is the amino acid radical of methionine.

Considering freedom and span, I am not a favourable fan Yet I still do support you, Will continue to guide you, Hold heavy loads as much as I can

Its primary function is to stabilize the thick filament and prevent overstretching.

In multiple forms I exist, In strenuous times I assist, With so much potential, I am quintessential

Titin has a number of isoforms and these lead to the differences in elasticity of muscle types.

Credit user65573 and UnidentifiedX answers for the origin.

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  • $\begingroup$ Congratulations, you got it! :) $\endgroup$
    – shanylong
    Commented Mar 5, 2020 at 1:54
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I wonder if you might be a:

MEDIUM

My name is akin to my size

Medium is a word that can describe the magnitude or size of some property (e.g. a steak can be cooked 'medium rare', a T-shirt can be 'medium size'...).

Each can be complex or concise

A 'complex medium' is a form of growth medium which is used in a laboratory for culturing bacteria. With regards to 'concise', this might be inferred as a synonym for 'compact' - a compact disk (CD) is a form of storage medium...

I remain within gaze
In front of your face
Observable under the right eyes

In the case of a growth medium, bacteria will culture within it 'right before your eyes', but can only be seen (or observed) using the right eyes, i.e. a microscope.

In multiple forms I exist
In strenuous times I assist

There are other meanings to the word 'medium', one of which is a person who acts as a conduit for the voices of the dead, or a way to connect to 'the other side'. In such 'strenuous times' as shortly after the death of a loved one, somebody may attempt to communicate with their dearly departed through the use of such a medium.

With so much potential
I am quintessential
Attempt to unveil me, I insist!

These lines simply refer to the word 'medium' having multiple meanings, although the use of 'unveil' here further conjures up the image of the heavily curtained (veiled) and perfumed room usually used in the work of a talking-to-the-dead medium...

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    $\begingroup$ Excellent! If this is not the intended answer, I can say it is even better! $\endgroup$
    – Ébe Isaac
    Commented Feb 17, 2020 at 13:20
  • $\begingroup$ Indeed, an excellent answer! However, it is not the answer I had intended... Despite this, you did manage to draw some correct clues! :) $\endgroup$
    – shanylong
    Commented Feb 17, 2020 at 14:16
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I think the answer might be

Microbe (or even microorganism)

My name is akin to my size

The name contains "micro" which indicates its size.

Each can be complex or concise

These organisms can vary vastly in complexity depending on the size of the genome.

I remain within gaze
In front of your face
Observable under the right eyes

Microbes are present everywhere but can often only be viewed using a microscope

Considering freedom and span
I am not a favourable fan

Bacteria and viruses are often seen in a bad light.

Yet I still do support you
Will continue to guide you
Hold heavy loads as much as I can

Microorganisms often help with bodily function and to protect the human body.

In multiple forms I exist
In strenuous times I assist

There are many, many forms of microorganism which provide a vast array of functions.

With so much potential
I am quintessential

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  • $\begingroup$ You are close! Most of the clues have been deciphered properly, a fantastic attempt! :) $\endgroup$
    – shanylong
    Commented Feb 17, 2020 at 14:52
  • $\begingroup$ Sounds like a cell/cellular. Cellular is a level of size. Cell can be used as a number of prefixes. Cellular signal is not a fan of freedom or size, can be used for GPS, and can get heavy loads from high usage. $\endgroup$
    – Blerg
    Commented Feb 18, 2020 at 0:18
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I think you are:

Eyeglasses

Verse 1:

My name is akin to my size
Each can be complex or concise
I remain within gaze
In front of your face
Observable under the right eyes

Explanation:

"Eyeglasses" are akin to their size in that they contain the word "eye" and are the right size for your eyes. Other kinds of "glasses" (eg drinking glasses) could be any size. Prescriptions vary, meaning the lens can be "complex" or "simple" (concise). They are literally right in front of your gaze, but only under the "right" eyes (of those who require them).

Verse 2:

In multiple forms I exist
In strenuous times I assist
With so much potential
I am quintessential
Attempt to unveil me, I insist!

Explanation:

Glasses are available in many forms (spectacles, monacles, pince-nez, contact lenses etc). They assist with eye strain and are essential to those who need them. "Unveil" means to allow something to be viewed, and eyeglasses help you to see things which otherwise you could not.

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    $\begingroup$ An amazing guess! However, its not the answer I had set for this question, although extremely plausible. Good job! :) $\endgroup$
    – shanylong
    Commented Feb 17, 2020 at 12:22
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Guess 2:

number (or measure)

Verse 1:

The name of a number is proportional to its size. Everything under the Sun can be quantified by some means or another.

Verse 2:

This new paragraph is quite a stretch but load and span do indicate some numeric quantity of some sort

Verse 3:

Numbers exist in many forms, eg., Roman numerals, decimal, hexadecimal, binary, etc. It is certainly helpful when you need them the most. Hence they have potential and are quintessential.

Guess 1:

shadow

My name is akin to my size
Each can be complex or concise

A shadow is attributed by what causes it, hence its name is akin to its size. The size and shape of a shadow can depend on the object which blocks the light, which can be complex or concise.

I remain within gaze
In front of your face
Observable under the right eyes

This may refer to the scenario where the light source is behind the observer where the observer can notice the shadow. This may also refer to the shadow under the eyes.

In multiple forms I exist

This may also refer to the various shape and sizes.

In strenuous times I assist

The shade of a tree can provide assistance when in need.

With so much potential
I am quintessential

This is loosely defined, but in terms of art, the shadows are what could bring a painting/sketch to life.

Attempt to unveil me, I insist!

My guess: you are a shadow

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    $\begingroup$ How is the "name akin to my size"? $\endgroup$
    – hexomino
    Commented Feb 17, 2020 at 11:53
  • $\begingroup$ Sorry, this is not the right answer. An incredibly astute guess though! Great job! $\endgroup$
    – shanylong
    Commented Feb 17, 2020 at 12:24
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    $\begingroup$ @hexomino I was in the notion that a shadow is attributed to what produces it, such as a man’s shadow or a skyscraper shadow for example. $\endgroup$
    – Ébe Isaac
    Commented Feb 17, 2020 at 13:27
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ @shanylong is it rot13(zrnfher) or rot13(ahzore)? $\endgroup$
    – Ébe Isaac
    Commented Feb 17, 2020 at 14:28
  • $\begingroup$ @ÉbeIsaac Neither I'm afraid, but both equally amazing guesses! $\endgroup$
    – shanylong
    Commented Feb 17, 2020 at 14:31
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My guess is

Light

My name is akin to my size
Each can be complex or concise

"light" as in "lightweight", and the word can be used in many senses

I remain within gaze
In front of your face

Light is everywhere

My infixes are aplenty you'll find

"igh" is a very common infix

Even if one knew
What they attempt to construe
It would take them a very long time

It took a very long time for scientists to actually explain how light works

Considering freedom and span
I am not a favourable fan

Light travels in a straight line and can be blocked off very easily

Yet I still do support you
Will continue to guide you

Humans rely on light for their day-to-day tasks

In multiple forms I exist
In strenuous times I assist
With so much potential
I am quintessential

Light exist in various frequencies, those observable by human eyes, and those that are not. And we use it for various technologies of communication (internet, radio etc.), medicine (X-rays, laser treatments etc.) and more.

Some of the stanzas, I couldn't quite relate.

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  • $\begingroup$ Not the right answer I'm afraid... Good deduction though! :) $\endgroup$
    – shanylong
    Commented Feb 18, 2020 at 5:33
2
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Answer 2

Would you be:

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)?

My name is akin to my size

The full answer, deoxyribunucleic acid is quite long, similar to the long strands that they are often found as. Meanwhile the initialism, DNA, is quite short/small and could refer to their small actual size

Each can be complex or concise

DNA can have many or few base pairs, depending on the genome

I remain within gaze
In front of your face
Observable under the right eyes

DNA is part of your body, therefore within gaze. To view DNA you would need a microscope.

My true prefix is one of a kind
My infixes are aplenty you'll find

Bit of a wild guess here... "deoxyribo" as the prefix would definitely not be common, while nucleic acids would be quite common I think this would be the suffix not the infix. So half answered for these two lines.

Even if one knew
What they attempt to construe
It would take them a very long time

It would certainly take a long time to create a DNA sequence from scratch

Considering freedom and span
I am not a favourable fan

DNA is often tightly wound in chromosomes, which would not grant it much freedom of movement. Its span is quite short as well.

Yet I still do support you
Will continue to guide you
Hold heavy loads as much as I can

DNA supports and guides our growth and development

In multiple forms I exist
In strenuous times I assist
With so much potential
I am quintessential

There are many forms of DNA, and sequences can be expressed when we are stressed. There's near infinite potential in what they can encode, and all living things have DNA.

Answer 1

In a similar vein to hexomino's answer, would you be a:

Microbiome

My name is akin to my size

Again, micro indicating the small size of the organisms that make up a microbiome

Each can be complex or concise

The composition of someone's microbiome can be complex (made up of many types of organisms) or concise (made up of a few types)

I remain within gaze
In front of your face
Observable under the right eyes

Since your microbiome includes what's on your skin, if you were to look at your hands for example, it would be in front of your face. However you could observe the microbes that make up your microbiome under a microscope

Even if one knew
What they attempt to construe
It would take them a very long time

Microbiomes are complex and it would take a lot of effort and time to identify each type of bacteria, fungus, virus, etc.

Considering freedom and span
I am not a favourable fan

Considering freedom - microbiomes are unique to each person, so it would be hard for it to transfer between people. Considering span - your microbiome is changing all the time, and the organism that make up your microbiome do not live for long

Yet I still do support you
Will continue to guide you
Hold heavy loads as much as I can

Our microbiomes can help prevent infection, help digest food, i.e. supporting us. Holding heavy loads might refer to dealing with microbial loads, where our microbiomes keep heavy loads (large amounts) of harmful bacteria at bay

In multiple forms I exist
In strenuous times I assist
With so much potential
I am quintessential

Once again, referring to the fact that the composition of microbiomes varies and that they benefit us. Quintessential in that everybody has one in some form

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  • $\begingroup$ I'm sorry, these are not the answers... DNA is close though! $\endgroup$
    – shanylong
    Commented Feb 20, 2020 at 9:28
2
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After much thought, I figured you are

titanium

My name is akin to my size, Each can be complex or concise, I remain within gaze, In front of your face, Observable under the right eyes

Titanium is used anywhere, in buildings, cars, anything that needs to have a stable structure. However, in order to view titanium molecules, you need to have a microscope. The word, titan means gigantic.

My true prefix is one of a kind, My infixes are aplenty you'll find, Even if one knew, What they attempt to construe, It would take them a very long time

The word tan in the infix can be rearranged as ant, which can be found almost anywhere. Titanium, as an atom, due to having so many electrons, is hard to understand.

Considering freedom and span, I am not a favourable fan, Yet I still do support you, Will continue to guide you, Hold heavy loads as much as I can

Titanium is a very strong material and is used to support buildings

In multiple forms I exist, In strenuous times I assist, With so much potential, I am quintessential

Titanium is used as an alloy to strengthen different types of metal, which will make it appear in many different forms. Titanium is used in everyday life and can have many more uses in future advancements.

Clues: I am organic in nature.

Titanium is a naturally occurring material

I am a specific substance.

Yes, titanium

I am named after a god

Titans are the children of the Greek goddess Gaia

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  • $\begingroup$ Hello! Great guess, but unfortunately Titanium is not an organic substance... You are incredibly close though, you even have the right god... :) $\endgroup$
    – shanylong
    Commented Feb 22, 2020 at 3:26
  • $\begingroup$ @shanylong is the element thorium then? $\endgroup$
    – user65687
    Commented Feb 22, 2020 at 3:38
  • $\begingroup$ It's not organic... $\endgroup$
    – shanylong
    Commented Feb 22, 2020 at 3:40
  • $\begingroup$ @shanylong a god as in titan or gaia? $\endgroup$
    – user65687
    Commented Feb 22, 2020 at 3:45
  • $\begingroup$ The first one, Titan. :) $\endgroup$
    – shanylong
    Commented Feb 22, 2020 at 13:17
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The Answer is:

Foot/Feet

It is a unit of measure.

Each can be complex or concise

Feet consist of a simple digit (like the foot of snail) or a complex array bones

I remain within gaze In front of your face Observable under the right eyes

Under your nose, down below!

Considering freedom and span I am not a favourable fan

We generally use the metric system, not feet and inches when measuring great distance

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  • $\begingroup$ Not quite! Try using some of the other clues scattered within the stanzas! Good try! $\endgroup$
    – shanylong
    Commented Feb 18, 2020 at 2:10
1
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You could be a

BOOK

My name is akin to my size

a definition of SIZE - any of various gelatinous or glutinous preparations made from glue, starch, etc., used for filling the pores of cloth, paper, etc., or as an adhesive ground for gold leaf on books.

Each can be complex or concise

different types of books

I remain within gaze In front of your face

You usually read a book in front of your face

Observable under the right eyes

If you know the language, you should be able to read the book

My true prefix is one of a kind

Codex / Manuscript - historical - hand-written, one of a kind

My infixes are aplenty you'll find

Many ideas written between the front and back covers of books

Even if one knew What they attempt to construe It would take them a very long time

There are a lot of books in existence. It would take a long time to read them all.

Considering freedom and span I am not a favourable fan

Books are usually compact and are written to read in an organized path or way.

Yet I still do support you

self-help books?

Will continue to guide you

Guide Books

Hold heavy loads as much as I can

Placing a book under something to support it?

In multiple forms I exist

Many types of books

In strenuous times I assist

Instruction manuals?

With so much potential I am quintessential

It is a necessary tool to learn things

Attempt to unveil me, I insist!

Unveil - To give light, You usually need light to read books.

Previous Answer

MICROSCOPE

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  • $\begingroup$ Not quite, but still a good guess! :) $\endgroup$
    – shanylong
    Commented Feb 18, 2020 at 2:08
1
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A few stretches in my answer, but my guess, largely inspired by the third hint, is that you are

plutonium-239

My name is akin to my size

The nomenclature "239" is directly linked to atomic mass, a common measure of size

Each can be complex or concise

Several isotopes of plutonium may exist in nature, each with their own properties and complexities, including half-life, stability, and abundance

I remain within gaze
In front of your face
Observable under the right eyes

A microscope would be required to visibly observe atoms of plutonium, as its radius is on the order of picometers

My true prefix is one of a kind

"Pluto-" is a one-of-a-kind planet (?)

My infixes are aplenty you'll find

A "-ton-" is used in common language as "a lot" or "aplenty"

Even if one knew
What they attempt to construe
It would take them a very long time

Plutonium-239 has a half-life of 24,000 years, which is "a very long time"

Considering freedom and span I am not a favourable fan

Radioactive materials may not be viewed favorably by politicians or the public due to hazardous "free" (spreadable) contamination and endless "lifespans" in the environment

Yet I still do support you
Will continue to guide you
Hold heavy loads as much as I can

Nuclear fission power plants still serve a large part of electrical "load" in many regions of the world; hence the "support" that plutonium-239 provides us

In multiple forms I exist
In strenuous times I assist
With so much potential
I am quintessential

Plutonium exists in multiple forms (isotopes), may assist (morbidly) in the form of nuclear bombs during strenuous times of war, and has truly mind-boggling potential (if we ever figure out fusion).

Concerning the third hint,

The name "plutonium" is derived from the planet "Pluto", which in turn was derived from the god "Pluto"

The only concern I have with the robustness of my guess is that perhaps also related are

uranium and thorium

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I think you are

Titanium

but there's a couple of hints I am not that sure

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3
  • $\begingroup$ Oh oops I'm so sorry that I kind of stole your answer but I can swear I never saw your answer before $\endgroup$
    – user65687
    Commented Feb 22, 2020 at 2:01
  • $\begingroup$ I'm sorry, Titanium is not an organic substance... $\endgroup$
    – shanylong
    Commented Feb 22, 2020 at 3:25
  • $\begingroup$ Right, I did not know if you referred organic as in natural grown, or as in contains carbon and hydrogen (if memory serves me well) $\endgroup$
    – user65573
    Commented Feb 22, 2020 at 15:23
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I think you are:

talking about "a cell"

If I:

close my left eye, I can see the cells on the end of my nose (originally i thought it was nose+knows but i couldn't make it work!)

Considering freedom and span, I am not a favourable fan, because:

you continue live thanks to my ongoing sacrifice ...

that is why I support you, guide you, and hold the loads that I can.

In multiple forms I exist

In strenuous times I assist

With so much potential

I am quintessential

Attempt to unveil me, I insist!

Please:

try and unveil the deepest mysteries of how cellular life can exist... after all, "I" am just an emergent curio... waxing theoretical on some cool dude's puzzle!

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I think it's

antibody

My name is akin to my size

They're tiny, almost having "no body", anti-body

Each can be complex or concise

A new antibody forms to fight off each specific pathogen (bacteria or virus), some are more complex than others

I remain within gaze In front of your face Observable under the right eyes

They're in your blood, so your nose, even in your eyes, would need a microscope to have the right eyes

Considering freedom and span I am not a favourable fan

They don't allow other microorganisms any freedom, literally limiting their span by chemically combining with them to effectively kill them

Yet I still do support you Will continue to guide you Hold heavy loads as much as I can

They're always supporting us, sometimes binding to pathogen's much larger than themselves (heavy loads)

In multiple forms I exist In strenuous times I assist

Again, the antibody adapts and has a new form for each new pathogen it encounters - clearly assisting in strenuous times

With so much potential I am quintessential

Our immune systems wouldn't be viable without adaptive antibodies, making them quintessential to human life.

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Final answer:

ether

Verse 1: My name is akin to my size...

The basic formula for ether is R-O-R’, where R is an alkyl compound. The name of the ether depends on its structure, hence complex or concise. Eg., ethoxyethane (diethyl ether), 3-isopropoxy-1-butanol, and some very long names according to the IUPAC naming convention. The rest of the lines refers to its second meaning: a medium that fills all space.

Verse 2: My true prefix is one of a kind...

There are countless compounds that start with the prefix eth-. The true prefix here could be aeth- which refers to its variant spelling, aether. There are no other actual ‘words’ starting with aeth (save for a few genus names). The infix could refer to either ’-the-’ or -O-, both plenty to find. Considering the latter, it would of course take very long time to interpret (construe) all possible forms of compounds with -O- (oxygen) in between.

Verse 3: Considering freedom and span...

Referring to the second meaning, it is a medium that is said to support the propagation of electromagnetic waves. The waves in here could also be the load.

Verse 4: In multiple forms I exist...

This is true for both meanings; as multiple mediums and as multiple compounds. Ether has a medicinal use. And it also referred to as the fifth element: quintessence.

Hints:

1. Ether is an organic compound
2. It is a substance
3. Aether is a Greek god; personification of the sky

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  • $\begingroup$ A little more complex than ether, but you're on the right track! Try something a little more... biological :) $\endgroup$
    – shanylong
    Commented Feb 24, 2020 at 2:17
  • $\begingroup$ @shanylong I believe the above post matches all your verses and hints all too well. $\endgroup$
    – Ébe Isaac
    Commented Feb 24, 2020 at 3:52
  • $\begingroup$ @shanylong Is it a rot13(onpgrevn be ivehf)? $\endgroup$
    – Ébe Isaac
    Commented Feb 26, 2020 at 3:07
  • $\begingroup$ No unfortunately, but you are on the right track! Check some of the other answers, some came very close to the actual answer... :) $\endgroup$
    – shanylong
    Commented Feb 26, 2020 at 5:07

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