Lecture 23 The Chemical Basis of Life-5

ORGANIC MOLECULES:

2. Proteins
Life Chap. 3

1
 Figure 3.3 Substances Found in Living Tissues

Water (70%) The relative proportions of

these macromolecules is
similar in all living things!
2
Proteins
 large, complex molecules
 made up of many smaller units called
amino acids, which are attached to
one another in long chains.
 required for the structure, function, and
regulation of the body’s tissues and
organs.

3
 Proteins
 They are the most structurally & functionally diverse group
of biomolecules
Function: involved in almost everything
 enzymes (control molecules)

 structure (keratin, collagen)

 carriers & transport (membrane channels)

 receptors & binding (defense)

 contraction (actin & myosin)

 signalling (hormones)

 storage (bean seed proteins)

4
Protein Structure:
 Proteins are made up of one or more
polypeptide molecules.
 Polypeptides are chains of amino

acids

 Have a complex 3-D shape

5
 What Are the Chemical Structures of Proteins?

The primary structure of a protein is

its amino acid sequence.
 amino acid sequence is determined by
DNA
 the sequence determines the secondary
and tertiary structure i.e. how the
protein is folded.
7
 Protein Structure…

Primary Assembly
STRUCTURE

PROCESS
Secondary Folding

Tertiary Packing

Quaternary Interaction
8
Amino acids Structure
 central carbon
 amino group
O
H H
 carboxyl group (acid)
| ||
 R group (side chain)
 variable group from 1 atom —C—C—OH
—N—
to 20.
 confers unique
|
chemical properties H
of the amino acid
R
9
Generalised and specific amino acids

10
 Building proteins
 Peptide bonds: dehydration
synthesis
 linking NH of 1 amino acid
2
to COOH of another
 C–N bond

11
 Building proteins
 Polypeptide chains
 N-terminal = NH end
2
 C-terminal = COOH end
 repeated sequence (N-C-C) is
the polypeptide backbone
 grow in one direction

Example: glycine & Phenylalanine 12

 2 amino acids linked to form a Dipeptide
 3 amino acids linked to form a Tripeptide
 4-10 amino acids linked by a peptide bond
to form an Oligopeptide
 more than 10 amino acids linked to form a
Polypeptide
Proteins in the body and diet are long
polypeptides (100s of amino acids)
13