Relatively simple monomeric subunits provide the
key to the structure of the thousands of different proteins. All proteins, whether from the most ancient lines
of bacteria or from the most complex forms of life, are
constructed from the same ubiquitous set of 20 amino
acids, covalently linked in characteristic linear sequences.
Because each of these amino acids has a side chain with
distinctive chemical properties, this group of 20 precursor molecules may be regarded as the alphabet in
which the language of protein structure is written.
What is most remarkable is that cells can produce
proteins with strikingly different properties and activities by joining the same 20 amino acids in many different combinations and sequences. From these building
blocks different organisms can make such widely diverse
products as enzymes, hormones, antibodies, transporters, muscle fibers, the lens protein of the eye, feathers, spider webs, rhinoceros horn, milk proteins, antibiotics, mushroom poisons, and myriad other substances
having distinct biological activities (Fig. 3–1). Among
these protein products, the enzymes are the most varied and specialized. Virtually all cellular reactions are
catalyzed by enzymes.
Protein structure and function are the topics of this
and the next three chapters. We begin with a description of the fundamental chemical properties of amino
acids, peptides, and proteins.
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