Protein Structure

3. Oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, sulfur, chlorine, sodium, and magnesium are elements essential to life.

Atoms are the basic units of matter and all life is based on them. Life on earth is based on the element carbon. It is a highly versatile atom able to form four covalent bonds with itself or other atoms such as hydrogen and water. Atoms combine to form molecules and those that are carbon based are referred to as organic molecules. Organic molecules occur in four different types in living cells; carbohydrates, lipids, proteins and nucleic acids. They are also known as hydrocarbons due to the presence of both hydrogen and carbon. Carbohydrates are made up of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen in the ratio 1:2:1. They are important sources of energy and are classified in three main groups; monosaccharides, disaccharides and polysaccharides.

form organic molecules that create the basis for life. The main elements found in biological

A protein has multiple existing structures, these are the primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary structures which occur progressively. A protein is essentially a sequence of amino acids which are bonded adjacently, and interact with one another in various ways depending on the R group that the amino acid contains. There are 20 different amino acids which are able to be arranged in any given order, thus giving rise to a potential 2.433x1018 (4.s.f) different combinations, and therefore interactions between the various amino acids.

Carbon dioxide is very important in the atmosphere, however only in moderation. For centuries humans have been burning coal, oil, and fossil fuels therefore releasing tons of carbon into the air. The problem with this is that this can cause a problem known as global warming. This is a major climate problem, which has series results on people and the environment. The result on people can be very deadly. Too much carbon in the air can cause cancer.

They are made up of amino acids (consists of amino group, carboxyl group, hydrogen atom, and R group). Polypeptide bonds form between amino acids to form polypeptide chains. Amino acid sequence is primary protein structure. The secondary structure is the bonding pattern of the amino acids (e.g. helix, sheet, etc.). The tertiary structure consists of the domain, where the sheets or helixes fold on each other and become stable. The quaternary structure consists of several polypeptide chains that form advanced proteins such as human leukocyte

Proteins are made of amino acids, which are compounds built around a central carbon atom. Amino acids then join together through dehydration reactions. These are called peptide bonds. Many amino acids joined together are called polypeptides. A polypeptide becomes a protein when it folds into a three dimensional structure. This is the primary structure of a protein. The next structure in the hierarchy is the secondary structure. Secondary structures can either form alpha helixes, where an amino acid sequence forces the polypeptide to twist into a helical shape; or beta sheets, where an amino acid sequence forces the polypeptide into a zigzag shape. In the tertiary structure, the polypeptide folds several times on itself to form a more complex three dimensional shape. A quaternary structure is when two tertiary structures interact with each other. This is when a protein becomes a functional

Proteins are polymeric chains that are built from monomers called amino acids. All structural and functional properties of proteins derive from the chemical properties of the polypeptide chain. There are four levels of protein structural organization: primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary. Primary structure is defined as the linear sequence of amino acids in a polypeptide chain. The secondary structure refers to certain regular geometric figures of the chain. Tertiary structure results from long-range contacts within the chain. The quaternary structure is the organization of protein subunits, or two or more independent polypeptide chains.

Carbon is what all life is based on. Oxygen sustains life. We most certainly would have not lived had our universe not been guested by Carbon and Oxygen. As mentioned on NYU.edu, Carbon is “…a very special element because it plays a dominant role in the chemistry of life”

This folding describes the arrangement of the amino acids. The shape of the acids is held in place by the hydrogen bonds. A hydrogen bond is a dipole-dipole interaction between a hydrogen atom and an electronegative atom. The hydrogen bonds are important because if they didn’t hold the structure of the amino acids in place, there would be no backbone for the protein.

DNA is made up of molecules called nucleotides. Each nucleotide contains: Nitrogen bases Adenine (A), Guanine (G), Cytosine (C), and Thymine (T), Deoxyribose sugar, and one or more phosphate groups. The order of the nitrogen bases determines the genetic code. The information in DNA is stored as a code. DNA is composed of four different types of nucleotides (A,G,C,T) connected by hydrogen bonds, Deoxyribose sugar, and one or more phosphate groups. Nucleotide A with T and C with G pair up to form units called base pairs. The sequence of the nitrogen bases determines the information; similar to the way alphabet letters only appear as words when formed together correctly. It is crucial that each strand of DNA complements each other; this is how DNA replicates. When the DNA molecule is packaged into thread-like structures, they are called chromosomes. (U.S National Library,

In conclusion, Carbon Dioxide is a special compound that plays a vital role to all living things on Earth. Although beneficial, it can also be very harmful if not handled appropriately. It is unlike any other compound with many characteristics and properties. Knowing all of these facts can help save your planet and even save your

Bettelheim, Brown, Campbell and Farrell assert that polypeptide chains do not extend in straight lines but rather they fold in various ways and give rise to a large number of three-dimensional structures (594). This folding or conformation of amino acids in the localized regions of the polypeptide chains defines the secondary structure of proteins. The main force responsible for the secondary structure is the non-covalent

3. The structure of a protein such as hemoglobin is very similar to an enzyme. The primary structure is the amino acid sequence. The secondary structure is the bonding of primary structures with the use of hydrogen. Tertiary structure is the bonding of the previous stage by covalent bonds. The final Quarternary structure involves more than one amino acid sequence. When a protein such as hemoglobin is heated, its bonds will be broken, causing a delay on the speed in which it is able to carry oxygen.

The primary structure of a protein is the linear sequence of amino acids, this linear sequence is called a polypeptide chain. Amino acids are held together by intramolecular covalent bonds which are called peptide bonds. Primary structures determine what the final 3 dimensional structure of that protein will be. [5]