PROTEIN STRUCTURE AND SYNTHESIS
Proteins are polymers of a-amino acids. There are twenty amino acids that are commonly found in proteins. Each amino acid has a similar, yet unique structure. Almost all of the amino acid have a carboxyl group and an amino group. At neutral pH the natural amino acids exist as zwitterions, with a negatively charged carboxyl group and a positively charged amino group.
The a carbon of most of the amino acids is chiral. Thus there are two stereoisomers of most of the amino acids.
All proteins are made from just 20 a-amino acids all of which have the same general structure. Each amino has a different side chain.

The different side chain is labeled R above. The R group determines the name of the amino acids. The side chains vary greatly in their complexity and properties.
Amino acids are joined together by peptide bonds. The reaction involves the formation of a molecule of water in another condensation polymerisation reaction



When two amino......

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Title: Protein Synthesis And Structure
Approximate Word Count: 1586
Approximate Pages: 7 (250 words per double-spaced page)

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