AGRC1020 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Frederick Sanger, Carboxylic Acid, Alpha And Beta Carbon
6 Aug 2018
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Document Summary
Proteins account for more than 50% of the dry mass of most cells. They are instrumental in almost everything that an organism does. Protein functions include structural support, storage, transport, cellular signaling, movement, and defense against foreign substances. Most important, protein enzymes function as catalysts in cells, regulating metabolism by selectively accelerating chemical reactions without being consumed. Humans have tens of thousands of different proteins, each with a specific structure and function. Proteins are the most structurally complex molecules known. Each type of protein has a complex three-dimensional shape or conformation. All protein polymers are constructed from the same set of 20 amino acid monomers. A protein consists of one or more polypeptides folded and coiled into a specific conformation. Animo acids are the monomers from which proteins. Amino acids are organic molecules with both carboxyl and amino groups. At the center of an amino acid is an asymmetric carbon atom called the alpha carbon.
