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2-4 Proteins are made of amino acids

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  • Amino acids are organic acids with a amine group attached to the α carbon.
  • Amino acids are distinguished by their side group that dictates its properties.

Proteins and peptides (small proteins) are essential to the cell and serve two major functions. Many proteins are enzymes that catalyze almost all biological reactions in a living organism. Other proteins perform a structural role for the cell - either in the cell wall, the cell membrane or in the cytoplasm. In this section, we will look at the basic structural elements shared by all proteins.

Structure of Amino Acids

Proteins are polymers of amino acids.. Amino acids, with rare exception, contain an α carbon that is connected to an amino (NH3) group, a carboxyl group (COOH), and a variable side group (R). Figure 2-8 shows this generic amino acid structure. The side group gives each amino acid its distinctive properties and helps to dictate the folding of the protein.

Figure 2-8 A generalized amino acid

A generalized amino acid

Each amino acid contains a carboxyl group, an amino group and a variable side group (R). These all connect to a central carbon, termed the α-carbon, identified by the arrow.

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