Biomolecule: Protein

Proteins make up the majority of biomolecules present in a cell. These molecules have enormous
variation. Proteins are responsible for many enzymatic functions in the cell and play an important
structural role. Proteins are composed of subunits called amino acids. There are 21 different types of
amino acids (including the less know selenocysteine). It would be very important for the student to
know the different functional groups that make up a single amino acid. Amino acids are composed of
a carboxyl group and an amino group bound to a central carbon atom. A hydrogen atom occupies the
third bonding site on the carbon and a variable “R” group occupies the fourth. This R group gives the
amino acid special properties that are responsible for making proteins functional. Long chains of
amino acids, formed by peptide bonds between each amino acid, form a polypeptide.