well i have create a short essay on 'how temperature affects protein structure' it has to be less than 375 words ! believe it or not - this is 380 words lol so i have to make it shorter, but i don't know how as i want to get a good grade - so i dont want to take too much detail out .any ideas for making this shorter ? also do you think it is a good essay ? lol
here it is:
A protein is a complex molecule that contains carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and sometimes sulphur. It is made of one or more chains of amino acids. It is used for growth, repair and energy. A single chain of amino acids is a polypeptide. Some proteins consist of a single polypeptide; others are composed of two or more.
There are four structures of proteins and they’re categorised into primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary. The primary structure of a protein is the amino-acid sequence of the polypeptide chain. The secondary structure is the folding of a polypeptide into one of two structures; an a-helix, a right-handed helix or a b-pleated sheet, a flat sheet formed by a polypeptide that folds back on itself or links to adjacent polypeptides lying parallel to one another. The tertiary structure is the further folding of a polypeptide to give a more complex 3D shape. The shape is very precise and specific to the function of the polypeptide. Some polypeptides, such as the enzyme lysozyme, have areas of their tertiary structure composed of both a-helix and b-pleated sheets. The quaternary structure of a protein is if it is made of two or more polypeptides. Haemoglobin is an example with a quaternary structure because it has four polypeptides.
The shape of a protein is vital to its function; the chains of amino acids fold into shapes that are held in place by chemical bonds. The bonds linking the amino acids in a chain are strong, covalent bonds.
However, most of bonds that maintain the shape are weak bonds, usually hydrogen bonds- which can be broken easily by chemicals or heat.
When proteins are heated these bonds break, the tertiary structure changes and the protein does not function. The destruction of the shape and loss of function is denaturation.
An example, of this is enzymes. An enzyme works best at or near its optimum temperature and pH. High temperatures denature an enzyme and cold temperatures can inactivate enzymes. When the temperature is too high, the enzyme molecules begin to lose their structure. Bonds that hold the polypeptides in specific shapes are broken and the shape of the active site changes; as a result the substrate molecules no longer fit. So the enzyme is denatured and loses all activity
here it is:
A protein is a complex molecule that contains carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and sometimes sulphur. It is made of one or more chains of amino acids. It is used for growth, repair and energy. A single chain of amino acids is a polypeptide. Some proteins consist of a single polypeptide; others are composed of two or more.
There are four structures of proteins and they’re categorised into primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary. The primary structure of a protein is the amino-acid sequence of the polypeptide chain. The secondary structure is the folding of a polypeptide into one of two structures; an a-helix, a right-handed helix or a b-pleated sheet, a flat sheet formed by a polypeptide that folds back on itself or links to adjacent polypeptides lying parallel to one another. The tertiary structure is the further folding of a polypeptide to give a more complex 3D shape. The shape is very precise and specific to the function of the polypeptide. Some polypeptides, such as the enzyme lysozyme, have areas of their tertiary structure composed of both a-helix and b-pleated sheets. The quaternary structure of a protein is if it is made of two or more polypeptides. Haemoglobin is an example with a quaternary structure because it has four polypeptides.
The shape of a protein is vital to its function; the chains of amino acids fold into shapes that are held in place by chemical bonds. The bonds linking the amino acids in a chain are strong, covalent bonds.
However, most of bonds that maintain the shape are weak bonds, usually hydrogen bonds- which can be broken easily by chemicals or heat.
When proteins are heated these bonds break, the tertiary structure changes and the protein does not function. The destruction of the shape and loss of function is denaturation.
An example, of this is enzymes. An enzyme works best at or near its optimum temperature and pH. High temperatures denature an enzyme and cold temperatures can inactivate enzymes. When the temperature is too high, the enzyme molecules begin to lose their structure. Bonds that hold the polypeptides in specific shapes are broken and the shape of the active site changes; as a result the substrate molecules no longer fit. So the enzyme is denatured and loses all activity