Education multimedia project

Multimedia in Biochemistry

Using ChemDraw to understand Amino Acids and dipeptides

Constanze ViehmannEDUC485Dr. Fred Hofstetter

Choose your amino acid

Serine

Alanine

You picked Alanine

Draw Alanine

1. Open ChemDraw (Install the app, and log in)
2. Draw the backbone of the amino acid
1. Use the single bond tool to draw two connected bonds

b. add a -NH2 group on the left end of the chain, and a -COOH group on the right end of the chain

3. Add the specific group of Alanine (-CH3) to the drawn amino acid backbonea. add a wedged bond to the middle carbonb. add a -CH3 to the end of that wedged bond

Click here to learn about dipeptides

You picked Serine

Draw Alanine

1. Open ChemDraw (Install the app, and log in)
2. Draw the backbone of the amino acid
1. Use the single bond tool to draw two connected bonds

b. add a -NH2 group on the left end of the chain, and a -COOH group on the right end of the chain

3. Add the specific group of Serine (-OH) to the drawn amino acid backbonea. add a wedged bond to the middle carbonb. add a -OH to the end of that wedged bond

Dipeptides

• two amino acids can be connected to make a dipeptide
• a dipeptide is connected by a bond called peptide bond
• two amino acids are combined through a condensation reaction with the loss of water

From Amino Acids to Protein

• when multiple amino acid are connected through peptide bonds, the amino acid strand becomes a protein
• proteins consist of four structures
• the primary structure: describes the amino acid sequence
• the secondary structure: interactions between the backbone of different amino acids, builduing alpha-helices and beta-sheets
• the tertiary structure: interactions between the amino acid specific side chains
• the quarternary structure: interactions between two or more polypeptides/proteins

You are a master of amino acids and proteins now

Thank you for pushing through and studying with me!