2.4 Proteins


 
Amino Acids
Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins. They are joined together with a peptide bond. A long chain of amino acids is referred to as a polypeptide.


 
Dipeptide
When two amino acids join with a peoptide bond, a dipeptide is formed. During this reaction one molecul of water is formed.


 
Protein Conformation
Protein Conformation is the three dimensional structure of a protein. There are two common motifs, the alpha-helix and the beta-sheet.


 
Denaturation
Proteins can denature by high temperature or extremes of pH. It is the usually permanent loss of the structure and function of a protein.


 
Protein function
Proteins perform a wide range of different functions in an organism. Here we have a closer look at what they are able to do.