Amino Acids - 3.13

Protein Structure and Function (AQA)

In this course, Professor Karl Haushalter (Harvey Mudd College) introduces the concept of proteins, investigating at each level their structure and function (Topic 3.13). We begin by (i) learning about the building blocks of proteins, amino acids; before (ii) investigating their primary structure; (iii) secondary structure; (iv) tertiary and quaternary structure; before finally (v) looking at the enzyme HIV protease, understanding how scientists use their knowledge of the protein at different levels to make it a therapeutic target.

Amino Acids - 3.13

In this lecture, we discuss the importance of understanding protein structure (Topic 3.13). We begin by highlighting that proteins serve as essential components in various cellular functions, such as enzyme catalysts, muscle contraction, transport, signalling, and biosynthesis of other biomolecules. Amino acids, the building blocks of proteins are then discussed. We describe their common structure, including the central carbon, amine, carboxylic acid, and the variable side chain. We briefly introduce different categories of amino acids based on their side chain properties, including hydrocarbons, amino acids with heteroatoms, aromatic amino acids, and charged amino acids. Finally we investigate the nomenclature and abbreviations commonly used for amino acids.