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What are proteins???. Hair Fur Muscles Chemical messengers between cells And more…. Most diverse functions of any of the macromolecules we have discussed!!!. PROTEIN : a POLYMER constructed from a set of just 20 kinds of monomers called AMINO ACIDS.
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What are proteins??? • Hair • Fur • Muscles • Chemical messengers between cells • And more…. • Most diverse functions of any of the macromolecules we have discussed!!!
PROTEIN: a POLYMER constructed from a set of just 20 kinds of monomers called AMINO ACIDS.
AMINO ACID: consists of a CENTRAL CARBON ATOM bonded to FOUR PARTNERS. THREE of these partners ARE always THE SAME. • The side group or FOURTH PARTNER is different.
Proteins must be PRECISELY TWISTED, FOLDED, and COILED into a UNIQUE SHAPE in order to work. (Ball of yarn vs. a sweater, same material different functions) • DENATURATION: change in temperature, pH, or some other quality of the environment that CAUSES A PROTEINTO UNRAVEL and LOSE ITS NORMAL SHAPE. EXAMPLE Cooking an egg: the egg white changes from a clear liquid to a white solid during cooking because heat denatures the egg’s proteins.
PROTEIN FUNCTIONS • Used in BODY STRUCTURES Examples: hair, fingernails, muscle fibers • Responsible for TRANSPORT Example: Hemoglobin, a protein, transports O2 in the blood • FIGHT DISEASE Example: Antibodies are proteins that attach to foreign molecules to provoke immune response • CHEMICAL MESSENGERS Example: Insulin, a hormone, regulates the level of glucose in your blood • ENZYMEScontrol reaction rates PROTEIN FUNCTIONS
NUCLEIC ACID: large nitrogen-containing polymers found mainly in the nuclei of cells. DEOXYRIBONUCLEIC ACID (DNA): POLYMER built from monomers called NUCLEOTIDES and contains the sugar deoxyribose. (There are only four nucleotides that make up DNA: A, T, C, and G.) NUCLEIC ACIDS NUCLEOTIDE
NUCLEIC ACIDS • DNA Stores HEREDITARY INFORMATION • CONTROLS ACTIVITIES of cells (tells the cell what proteins to build) RIBONUCLEIC ACID (RNA): POLYMER built from monomers called NUCLEOTIDES and contains the sugar ribose. • Works with DNA to BUILD PROTEINS