Proteins
Tanay & Faba
Structure
The monomers that make up a protein macromolecule are called amino acids.
Amino acids always have two functional groups: Amine group (-NH2) and a Carboxyl group (-COOH).
The polymer formed by amino acids is called a protein.
The structure of a protein macromolecule directly affects the function that it does. In a protein, amino acids are linked together by peptide bonds. A peptide bond extracts extracts a water molecule as it joins the amino group of one amino acid to a carboxyl group.
Functions
Proteins have many different functions.
They are:
- storing information for creating DNA
- controlling rate of reactions
- regulating cell processes
- transporting substances to and from cells to fight disease