Question

Proteins are three dimensional molecules made of strands of amino acids (imagine a ball of string). There are 20 different amino acids used in proteins found in living organisms. Some of these amino acids are polar and others are nonpolar. Where would a series of nonpolar amino acids most likely be located in a protein that is found in the cytosol of an animal cell

Answer 1

Answer:

A series of nonpolar amino acids would most likely be located in the interior region of the tridimensional molecule.

Explanation:

Proteins are formed by linearly arranged amino acids, each with a side chain: the R-group.

Of the 20 different amino acids that compose the proteins, about half of them -10- are non-polar. Their R-groups are not stable if they are in contact with water, meaning that non-polar amino acids are hydrophobic.

When proteins are synthesized, they acquire a three-dimensional structure that makes them more stable. Lineal polypeptides get folded and turn into a shape that makes them more stable in the environment and capable of accomplishing their biological role. When they are in an aqueous media, their bent shape leaves the hydrophilic R-groups in contact with water. The hydrophilic R-groups stick in the center of the polypeptide, facing the protein interior, and avoiding interaction with water.