Essential Idea:
Proteins have a very wide range
of functions in living organisms
Understandings:
- Amino acids are linked together by condensation to form polypeptides
- There are 20 different amino acids in polypeptides synthesised on ribosomes
- Amino acids can be linked together in any sequence giving a huge range of possible polypeptides
- The amino acid sequence of polypeptides is coded for by genes
- A protein may consist of a single polypeptide or more than one polypeptide linked together
- The amino acid sequence determines the three-dimensional conformation of a protein
- Living organisms synthesise many different proteins with a wide range of functions
- Every individual has a unique proteome
Applications:
- Rubisco, insulin, immunoglobulins, rhodopsin, collagen and spider silk as examples of the range of protein functions
- Denaturation of proteins by heat or by deviation of pH from the optimum
Skills:
- Drawing molecular diagrams to show the formation of a peptide bond