little help for my sister !

[doboman]

Just wondering how many different levels in the structure of proteins can be identified and their names? Furthermore what are the main types of bondings being involved in the primary structure, secondary structure and also the tertiary structure.  :uglystupid2:

[Toothpaste]

Four levels of protein structure are possible - primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary.


The primary structure of a protein is its amino acid sequence.
Amino acids are covalently bonded together into polypeptide chains by peptide linkages.

The secondary structure of a protein requires hydrogen bonding.
There are two basic types of secondary structure:
The (alpha) helices and the (beta) pleated sheets.

The tertiary structure of a protein is formed by folding and bending.

The strongest links holding a folded polypeptide in place are from the bonds between neighbouring cytesine amino acids, which form disulfide bridges.

Other interactions folding the polypeptide include ionic bonds - which can form between positively and negatively charged side chains, hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interactions.



(Do we need to know about Van der Waals forces?)

[Collin Li]

(Do we need to know about Van der Waals forces?)

These are just another name for dispersion forces. I'm sure you're familiar with these from Chemistry.

[Toothpaste]

(Do we need to know about Van der Waals forces?)

These are just another name for dispersion forces. I'm sure you're familiar with these from Chemistry.

OH. *hits head with Nature of Biology book*