Comparing The Basic Building Blocks Of Building Proteins

The basic building blocks of proteins are amino acids. Amino acids consist of a central carbon atom attached to a carboxyl group, an amino group, a hydrogen atom, and a side chain. The side chain can be as small as a single atom or as complex as a whole molecule and is what gives each amino acid their specific characteristics. This is because whatever characteristics the side chain possesses affects the amino acid; for example if the side chain is nonpolar, the amino acid will be hydrophobic. Amino acids then bond to one another via peptide bonds to form a polypeptide chain. A peptide bond forms when the carboxyl group of one amino acid is adjacent to the amino group of another amino acid, allowing for an enzyme to perform a dehydration reaction and bond the two acids. Although a polypeptide chain is what makes up a

There are potentially four levels of a protein’s structure, with the first being the primary structure. The primary structure is the order in which the amino acids are bonded to one another. There are 20 different types of amino acids and a polypeptide chain can be thousands of amino acids long. This creates millions of potential sequences and lengths and allows for a vast variety of proteins. The secondary structure of a protein is the coiling or folding of the polypeptide chain. These contortions are a result of hydrogen bonds between the hydrogen atom of one amino acid and the oxygen atom from the carboxyl group of another. These bonds contorts the chain into two main shapes: the alpha helix and the pleated sheet. Next is the tertiary structure. The tertiary structure involves more coiling and folding of the chain, but not just because of hydrogen bonds. The contortions of the tertiary structure are a result of bonds between the side chains of the amino acids,