5.15 in text to see other examples. Peptides and Polypeptides Amino acids are not accumulated by cells, but quickly joined into specific assemblies by the formation of peptide bonds . The peptide bond that binds amino acids is one of the strongest and most durable of covalent bonds. In the laboratory, we can break, or hydrolyze, peptide bonds most effectively by a combination of heat and acid. In your body, this digestive process begins in the stomach, where a combination of acid and enzymes help to break peptide bonds.
Students often confuse the term polypeptide with the term protein.
Some proteins consist of only a single folded polypeptide chain, but many proteins contain multiple polypeptides, and frequently inorganic atoms as well, such as Zinc,Iron, Magnesium, etc. The opposite end of the polypeptide has a free carboxyl group, called the C-terminus. 2 o Structure Polypeptides fold in a series of stages. One of the most common 2 o folding patterns is called the alpha-helix , discovered by Pauling and Corey. This regular pairing pulls the polypeptide into a helical shape that resembles a coiled ribbon.