3.1.4 - proteins Flashcards
what are the monomers of proteins?
amino acids
what is formed when 2 amino acids join together?
a dipeptide
what is formed when more than 2 amino acids join together?
a polypeptide
what are proteins made up of?
proteins are made up of one or more polypeptides
general structure of an amino acid
- carboxyl group (COOH)
- amine or amino group (NH2)
- R group (also known as a variable side group) attached to a carbon atom
what do R groups generally contain?
carbon, only exception is glycine (its R group consists of just one H atom)
how many amino acids are there?
all living things share a bank of only 20 amino acids, the only difference between them is what makes up their R group
dipeptide and polypeptide formation
amino acids link together by condensation reactions to form dipeptides and polypeptides , a molecule of water is released during the reaction
what are the bonds that form between amino acids called?
peptide bonds
how do dipeptides/polypeptides break down
- hydrolysis reaction
what are the 4 ‘levels’ of a protein’s structure?
-primary
-secondary
-tertiary
-quaternary
what is the primary structure of a protein?
the sequence of amino acids in the polypeptide chain
secondary structure of proteins
polypeptide chain doesn’t stay flat but hydrogen bonds form between the amino acids in the chain which makes it automatically coil into an alpha helix or fold into a beta pleated sheet
what things are involved in the tertiary structure of a protein?
-hydrogen bonds
-ionic bonds
-disulfide bridges
tertiary structure - hydrogen/ionic bonds
coiled/folded amino acid chain is often coiled/folded further so more bonds form between different parts of the polypeptide chain e.g. hydrogen/ionic bonds (attraction between - and + charges on different parts of the molecule)
tertiary structure - disulfide bridges
- form when 2 molecules of the amino acid cysteine come close together
- sulfur atom in 1 cysteine bonds to the sulfur atom in the other
tertiary structure and single polypeptide chain proteins
for proteins made from a single polypeptide chain , the tertiary structure forms their final 3D structure
what is the quaternary structure?
some proteins are made of several different polypeptide chains held together by bonds , the quaternary structure is the way these polypeptide chains are assembled together
quaternary structure and proteins made from more than one polypeptide chain
for proteins made from more than 1 polypeptide chain (e.g. haemoglobin/insulin/collagen) the quaternary structure is the protein’s final 3D structure
proteins shape and function
a protein’s shape determines its function
how is haemoglobin’s shape adapted to its function?
haemoglobin is a compact/soluble protein so it is easy to transport so it is good at carrying oxygen around the body
enzyme’s shape
- usually roughly spherical in shape (tight folding of polypeptide chains)
enzyme’s function
- soluble, often have roles in metabolism e.g. some enzymes break down large food molecules (digestion enzymes), some help to synthesise large molecules
what are antibodies involved in/where are they found?
the immune response and are found in the blood
antibodies structure
- made up of 2 light (short) polypeptide chains and 2 heavy (long) polypeptide chains bonded together
- antibodies have variable regions - amino acid sequences in these regions vary greatly
how do you test for proteins?
biuret test