Answer to Question #260428 in Cell Biology for hayrunisa

Question

Please indicate the atoms involved in a polypeptide backbone?

Answer 1

As you may already know, proteins are macromolecules formed by a succession of smaller molecules known as amino acids. Most living things, including humans, use only about twenty different types of amino acids to build their proteins. These amino acids can be polar and nonpolar, and their location in this protein can alter their function in the body.

A general feature of proteins is the localization of nonpolar amino acids within the protein while the polar or charged amino acids lie on the surface of the protein. Hydrophobicity is a very important factor in protein stability and a significant role is attributed to the nonpolar effect on protein folding.

Sulfur-containing amino acids may also have nonpolar characteristics, especially in the case of cysteine involved in the formation of sulfur bridges.