First my book says:
"a protein is a functional unit made up of one or more polypeptide chains"
Then it says:
"Proteins are chains of over 100 amino acids."
Those are really different definitions! What if the chain is 110 amino acids long? By the first definition it's not a protein, because it's not long enough to be two polypeptide chains. But by the second definition it is a protein, because it's more than 100 amino acids long.
Please help, and thank you very much!
"a protein is a functional unit made up of one or more polypeptide chains"
Then it says:
"Proteins are chains of over 100 amino acids."
Those are really different definitions! What if the chain is 110 amino acids long? By the first definition it's not a protein, because it's not long enough to be two polypeptide chains. But by the second definition it is a protein, because it's more than 100 amino acids long.
Please help, and thank you very much!
-
Ok, a protein is made up of many amino acids held together by peptide bonds. Polypeptides literally are like a string of over hundreds of amino acids covalently bonded.
So in reality, definitions both are correct. If it is 110 amino acids long, it is still a protein by the first one because, its still a polypeptide. What you need to realise is that the polypeptide would fold in secondary and tertiary structures forming more chan one chain.
So in reality, definitions both are correct. If it is 110 amino acids long, it is still a protein by the first one because, its still a polypeptide. What you need to realise is that the polypeptide would fold in secondary and tertiary structures forming more chan one chain.
-
Amino acids >> peptide chain(s) >> protein
Amino acids make up a polypeptide chain. Protein is made up of a single or multiple combinations of polypeptide chains. It's the same basic structure but different levels of structural complexity.
Amino acids make up a polypeptide chain. Protein is made up of a single or multiple combinations of polypeptide chains. It's the same basic structure but different levels of structural complexity.