Question

What is meant by tertiary structure or proteins?

Answer 1

Proteins:

1. A polymeric chain of amino acids makes up proteins.
2. Proteins are heteropolymers.
3. They are composed of 20 different amino acids.
4. They have four levels of the structural organization - Primary structure, secondary structure, tertiary structure, and quaternary structure.

The tertiary structure of proteins:

1. It refers to the unique three-dimensional conformations that globular proteins assume as a consequence of the interactions between the side chains in their primary structure.
2. Hydrophobic interactions, electrostatic interactions, hydrogen bonds, van der Waals force of interaction, and covalent bonds are the various types of covalent and non-covalent interactions that stabilize the tertiary structure.