M1:03 Proteins and amino acids Flashcards
What percentage of the organic matter of a cell is made up of protein?
50%
What are proteins made up of?
large molecules made up of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen. some contain sulphur
Name the main functions of proteins
- structural components eg of bone and muscle- membrane carriers and pores eg for active transport and facillitated diffusion - all enzymes are proteins - many hormones are proteins - antibodies are proteins -important for growth and repair in all organisms
What are all proteins made from?
amino acids
Why are proteins large molecules?
as they are polymers (large chains of monomers, ie amino acids)
What are amino acids?
monomers that make up proteins
describe the makeup of an amino acid
they all have the same basic structure, an amino group at one end (left) an acid group on the right and a carbon in between (with a H and an R group )
What is a ‘backbone’ in terms of amino acids?
amino acids joined end to end repeatedly.
How many types of naturally occuring amino acids are there?
20
What is glycine?
the simplest form of an amino acid.
How are amino acids differentiated?
their R groups are all different
Describe some charactertistics an R group could possess.
positively/negatively charged hydrophobic/hydrophillic
How do plants obtain amino acids?
they are able to manufacture the necessary amino acids, providing they can receive nitrate from soil
What is nitrate used for in plants?
it is converted into amino groups and bond to organic groups made from the products of photosynthesis
How do animals obtain proteins?
as part of their diet
What are amino acids used for in animals?
they are digested to amino acids which can then build other proteins
What are essential amino acids and how many are there?
8-10 of the 20 amino acids that cant be built from materials they take into the body
Where are most essential amino acids found?
in meat
How do vegetarians obtain essential amino acids?
via soy milk
Can animals store excess amino acids?
no
What is deamination and why is it necessary?
the process by which amino acids are removed, as too much amino group can turn toxic
Where does deamination take place in animals?
in the liver, where the amino groups are removed and converted into urea, which is removed in urine.
How do DIFFERENT amino acids join with each other?
via condensation reactions, forming covalent bonds
What is the bond formed between two amino acids and what is the new molecule formed?
peptide bonddipeptide
How are peptide bonds broken down?
hydrolysis, which uses a water molecule to break the bond
How are polypeptides formed?
by joining many dipeptides together
Why are amino acids in a polypeptide chains sometimes referred to as and why?
amino acid residues because part of the molecule is lost in the condensation reaction that produces the peptide bonds.
Where are proteins and polypeptide synthesised?
on the ribosomes
Describe protein synthesis
information is used in the form of messenger RNA (mRNA) to put amino acids in the right order to make a specific polypeptide chains.as the mRNA passes through the ribosome, amino acids join together one at a time
What determines the sequence of amino acids being produced?
the mRNA
What determines the function of each protein
its structure of its amino acids