Understanding:
• Amino acids are linked together by condensation to form polypeptides
Amino acids can be covalently joined together in a condensation reaction to form a dipeptide and water
The covalent bond between the amino acids is called a peptide bond and, for this reason, long chains of covalently bonded amino acids are called polypeptides
Polypeptide chains can be broken down via hydrolysis reactions, which requires water to reverse the process
Formation of a Dipeptide
Skill:
• Drawing molecular diagrams to show the formation of a peptide bond
Peptide bonds are formed between the amine and carboxylic acid groups of adjacent amino acids
- The amine group loses a hydrogen atom (H) and the carboxylic acid loses a hydroxyl (OH) – this forms water (H2O)
Molecular Diagram of a Peptide Bond
