Polypeptide
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A Polypeptide is a longer biological polymer and oligomers that are unbranched peptide chain (of peptides).
- Example(s):
- a Shorter Polypetide, such as:
- a Longer Polypeptide (Protein), such as:
- Hemoglobin.
- …
- Counter-Example(s):
- Oligopeptides, such as: Dipeptides, Tripeptides, and Tetrapeptides.
- See: C-Terminus, Valine, Alanine, Amino Acid, Peptide Bond, Biopolymer, Oligomer, Nucleic Acid.
References
2022
- (Wikipedia, 2022) ⇒ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peptide Retrieved:2022-6-5.
- Peptides are short chains of amino acids linked by peptide bonds. Chains of fewer than twenty amino acids are called oligopeptides, and include dipeptides, tripeptides, and tetrapeptides. A polypeptide is a longer, continuous, unbranched peptide chain. Hence, peptides fall under the broad chemical classes of biological polymers and oligomers, alongside nucleic acids, oligosaccharides, polysaccharides, and others. A polypeptide that contains more than approximately fifty amino acids is known as a protein. Proteins consist of one or more polypeptides arranged in a biologically functional way, often bound to ligands such as coenzymes and cofactors, or to another protein or other macromolecule such as DNA or RNA, or to complex macromolecular assemblies. Amino acids that have been incorporated into peptides are termed residues. A water molecule is released during formation of each amide bond. All peptides except cyclic peptides have an N-terminal (amine group) and C-terminal (carboxyl group) residue at the end of the peptide (as shown for the tetrapeptide in the image).