Lecture 4

Protein= 50% of the dry mass of most cell

Protein Function:
Structural- support
Enzymatic-acts as a catalyst to speed up the chemical reactions
Storage storage of amino acids
Transport-transport of substances
Hormonal-coordination of an organisms activities
Receptor-Response of cell to chemical stimuli
Contractile and motor-movement
Defensive-protection against disease
20 amino acid groups- polypeptide
Nonpolar (hydrophobic); side chain (R group) has more hydrogen ion (H), CH3
Polar (hydrophilic) side chain (R group) has more hydroxide ion (OH)
Amino Acids are made up of organic molecules with carboxyl and amino group; linked by peptide
bonds
Polypeptide is a polymer of amino acids
Protein Structure:
Primary Structure-inherited genetic information
Secondary Structure- the alpha helix and beta pleated sheet
Tertiary Structure-interaction of the different side chains of the various amino groups
Quaternary Structure-one or two polypeptide chains that form one macromolecule
Slight change in the primary structure can affect the proteins structure and ability to function EX.
Sickle-cell disease- inherited blood disorder (a single amino acid substitution in the protein
hemoglobin)
Denaturation: loss of proteins native structure; caused by alterations in pH, salt concentration,
temperature and other environmental factors
Chaperoning are protein molecules that assist the proper folding of other proteins
Nucleic Acids:
Gene is the amino acid sequence of a polypeptide is programmed by a unit of inheritance
Genes are made of DNA, a nucleic acid made of monomers called nucleotides
Two types of Nucleic Acids:
Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) the direction of its own replication and directs the synthesis of
messenger RNA (mRNA) and through mRNA controls protein synthesis

Protein synthesis occurs ribosomes

Nucleic acids are polymers called polynucleotides
Nucleotides (nitrogenous base, a pentose sugar and one or more phosphate groups) are
polynucleotide that is made of monomers
Portion of a Nucleotide w/ no phosphate group is nucleoside = nitrogenous base + sugar

DNA does not have oxygen contain in its sugar, deoxyribose.

Two Nitrogenous Bases:
Pyrimidine (cytosine, thymine, and uracil)-single six membered ring
Purines (adenine and guanine)-six membered ring fused to five membered ring
Nucleotide= nucleoside + phosphate group
Polynucleotide are nucleotide polymers are linked together
DNA: pair and form hydrogen bonds: adenine (A) with thymine (T) and Guanine (G) with
cytosine (C) = complementary base pairing
RNA: replaced thymine with uracil (U)