Proteins

Need to know

What you need to know

• Describe the general structure of an amino acid and the formation/hydrolysis of peptide bonds.
• Explain the four hierarchical levels of protein structure (primary, secondary, tertiary, quaternary) and the bonds/interactions that stabilise each.
• Compare and contrast fibrous and globular proteins, relating their specific three-dimensional structures to their diverse biological functions.
• Describe the structure of haemoglobin and collagen as examples of globular and fibrous proteins respectively.

Explanation

Proteins

1. Describe the general structure of an amino acid and the formation/hydrolysis of peptide bonds.
2. Explain the four hierarchical levels of protein structure (primary, secondary, tertiary, quaternary) and the bonds/interactions that stabilise each.
3. Compare and contrast fibrous and globular proteins, relating their specific three-dimensional structures to their diverse biological functions.
4. Describe the structure of haemoglobin and collagen as examples of globular and fibrous proteins respectively.