What is a protein's overall function dependent on?

1 Answer

A protein's overall function is dependent on the shape of it. This is determined by four structural levels.

The primary structure of an enzyme is simply the sequence of amino acids.
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The secondary structure represents how the peptide folds and twists on itself due to interactions between the amino acids. Secondary structures include coil-like alpha helices and beta pleated sheets , which resemble accordion folds.

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The tertiary structure describes the overall folding of the whole peptide, with the secondary structures folding upon themselves to form a globular ball, the protein’s active conformation.

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Some proteins have a quaternary structure that describes how two or more peptides combine to form a complex protein. For example, hemoglobin, which carries oxygen in the blood, is composed of four individual peptides that are linked to create a functional molecule. It would not be able to carry the iron ion without this structure. That is what then carries oxygen.

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