Biomolecules:
Protein 1
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In this module:

Introduction
Amino Acids
Hydrophobic and Polar Amino Acids
Acidic and Basic Amino Acids
Peptide Bonds
Planarity of Peptide Bonds
Protein Sequences
Sickle Cell Anemia

Formation of Peptide Bonds

Amino acids are linked together in proteins by a special kind of bond, the peptide bond . A peptide bond is a special case of a functional group called the amide group.

Click on the step numbers below to see the steps in peptide bond formation. Click on the mouse to clear the steps and see them again.

First, two amino acids are brought together. The acid group of the first is close to the amine group of the second.

1

Next, a water molecule is eliminated, leaving a bond between the acid carbon of the first amino acid and the amine nitrogen of the second.

2

The peptide bond is left between the two amino acids.

3

See the DNA 2 module for a more detailed explanation of the cellular machinery that assembles amino acids into proteins.

Peptide Bonds