The Structure and Function Relationships of Proteins
The Structure and Function Relationships of Proteins
Proteins are a group of organic compounds whose molecules consist of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and sometimes sulfur atoms. They are condensation polymers of amino acids that are joined by strong peptide bonds. There are 20 different types of amino acids available, and the different combinations of these amino acids give it different structures and specific functions to it. Below in this essay, will illustrate the how different structure of a protein is related to its given function.
The exact sequence of amino acids in a polypeptide within a protein molecule is the primary structure of a protein. The primary structure is a unique sequence of amino acids that makes up a particular protein. The secondary structure of a protein refers to the shape that is taken up by the primary structure within a protein molecule as a result of the formation of hydrogen bonds which gives it stability. The shape is regular and is repeated along a chain. After synthesis, polypeptide chains are folded or pleated into different shapes; the two common being the Alpha Helices and the Beta Pleated Sheets. The primary structure including the secondary structure can fold itself into its final 3-D shape. This shape refers to the shape that is taken up by the polypeptide chain of some proteins as a result of various bonds formed between parts of the R- groups of the chains. There are three types of bonds which may be formed between the R groups, and these are mainly responsible for folding the tertiary structure: hydrogen bongs (formed between when the electropositive H atoms of the –OH or –NH of one of R group attract the electronegative O or CO group in another R group), ionic bond (formed between RCOO- and +H3N-R) and disulphide bond (formed between R groups and –SH groups hence the strongest of the three). The tertiary structure of every different polypeptide is different. The shape is said to be very specific as the function
Proteins are a group of organic compounds whose molecules consist of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and sometimes sulfur atoms. They are condensation polymers of amino acids that are joined by strong peptide bonds. There are 20 different types of amino acids available, and the different combinations of these amino acids give it different structures and specific functions to it. Below in this essay, will illustrate the how different structure of a protein is related to its given function.
The exact sequence of amino acids in a polypeptide within a protein molecule is the primary structure of a protein. The primary structure is a unique sequence of amino acids that makes up a particular protein. The secondary structure of a protein refers to the shape that is taken up by the primary structure within a protein molecule as a result of the formation of hydrogen bonds which gives it stability. The shape is regular and is repeated along a chain. After synthesis, polypeptide chains are folded or pleated into different shapes; the two common being the Alpha Helices and the Beta Pleated Sheets. The primary structure including the secondary structure can fold itself into its final 3-D shape. This shape refers to the shape that is taken up by the polypeptide chain of some proteins as a result of various bonds formed between parts of the R- groups of the chains. There are three types of bonds which may be formed between the R groups, and these are mainly responsible for folding the tertiary structure: hydrogen bongs (formed between when the electropositive H atoms of the –OH or –NH of one of R group attract the electronegative O or CO group in another R group), ionic bond (formed between RCOO- and +H3N-R) and disulphide bond (formed between R groups and –SH groups hence the strongest of the three). The tertiary structure of every different polypeptide is different. The shape is said to be very specific as the function