Organic acids terms Links

Amino acids become linked by reactions that occur between the amine group of one amino acid and the carboxyl group of another. As shown in Figure 22.23, this polymerization produces a molecule of water and, hence, is a condensation reaction. Naturally occurring polypeptides with molecular weights in excess of 10,000 daltons are termed proteins. These biomolecules are ubiquitous in marine organisms and are not specific to particular species. Proteins are important components of enzymes as well as of structural parts and connective tissues. 

The life of a cell depends on thousands of chemical interactions and reactions exquisitely coordinated with one another in time and space and under the influence of the cell s genetic instructions and its environment. How does a cell extract critical nutrients and information from its environment How does a cell convert the energy stored in nutrients into work (movement, synthesis of critical components) How does a cell transform nutrients into the fundamental structures required for its survival (cell wall, nucleus, nucleic acids, proteins, c3Aoskeleton) How does a cell link Itself to other cells to form a tissue How do cells communicate with one another so that the organism as a whole can function One of the goals of molecular cell biology Is to answer such questions about the structure and function of cells and organisms In terms of the properties of Individual molecules and Ions. 

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