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Amide Bond Formation• Amide bonds form upon reaction of carboxylic acids with ammonia, primary amines or secondary amines.

• When amide bonds form between amino acids we call it a peptide bond.

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Amino Acids

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Proteins• Proteins are polymers of amino acid monomers held together by peptide bonds. • Roles of proteins:

– Gene expression is due to proteins– Almost all enzymes are proteins– Many hormones are proteins or peptides– Proteins form structural tissue– Storage and transportation of many molecules is possible due to proteins (think back to passive transport of

hydrophilic molecules in and out of cells)– The immune system uses proteins to identify and attack foreign invaders such as bacteria

• Structure of proteins:– Primary Structure: refers to the sequence of amino acids in a protein chain held together by amide bonds

(peptide bonds)

– Secondary Structure: refers to the regular and repeating spatial organization of neighboring segments of protein chains (either the alpha-helix or the beta-sheet).