Introduction Proteins are polypeptides, which are made up of many amino acids linked together as a linear chain. The structure of an amino acid contains a amino group, a carboxyl group, and a R group which is usually carbon based and gives the amino acid it's specific properties. (3) These properties determine the interactions between atoms and molecules, which are: van der Waals force between temporary dipoles, ionic interactions between charged groups, and attractions between polar groups. (1) Figure 1. A basic amino acid (1)

Proteins form the very basis of life. They regulate a variety of activities in all known organisms, from replication of the genetic code to transporting oxygen, and are generally responsible for regulating the cellular machinery and determining the phenotype of an organism. Proteins accomplish their tasks in the body by three-dimensional tertiary and quaternary interactions between various substrates. The functional properties depend upon the proteins three-dimensional structure. The (3D) structures arise because particular sequences of amino acids in a polypeptide chain fold to generate, from linear chains, compact domains with specific structures. The folded domains either serve as modules for larger assemblies or they provide specific catalytic or binding sites.

Figure 2. Structures of Proteins (1)