Amide links

Introduction:

• Proteins are essential macromolecules in living organisms, and they are constructed from amino acid building blocks.
• The formation of proteins involves a crucial chemical reaction known as condensation polymerization, which results in the creation of amide links (CONH), also called peptide links.

Condensation Polymerization

• Proteins are formed by condensation reactions where amino acids combine to create longer chains.
• In these reactions, the amino group (-NH₂) of one amino acid and the carboxyl group (-COOH) of a neighbouring amino acid join together.
• This joining process results in the elimination of a water molecule.

Amide Links (Peptide Links)

• The chemical bond that forms between the amino group of one amino acid and the carboxyl group of another is called an amide link.
• The amide link is represented as CONH, and it plays a fundamental role in the structure of proteins.

Formation of Protein Chains

• Amino acids condense together in a chain-like fashion, with each amide link connecting two adjacent amino acids.
• The sections of the amino acids that are not involved in forming the amide link are represented by rectangles in the structure of the protein.

Conclusion

• Proteins are composed of amino acids linked together through condensation polymerization reactions.
• The amide links (CONH), also known as peptide links, connect the amino acids in the protein chain.
• The structure and function of proteins are determined by the specific sequence of amino acids and the arrangement of amide links within the protein molecules.