Paper 2 · proteins and haemoglobin
In terms of protein structure, what term describes the specific sequence in which amino acids are joined by peptide bonds along a polypeptide chain?
Model answer
primary structure
Also accepted: the primary structure, primary structure of a protein
Explanation: The primary structure of a protein is simply the order in which amino acids are linked together by peptide bonds in the polypeptide chain; this sequence, determined by the gene coding for the protein, dictates how the chain subsequently folds into higher levels of structure.
Derived from ZIMSEC Biology Paper 2, November 2004, Q6
