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Collagen

Collagen is a fibrous protein that is found in tendons, bones, muscles, skin and blood. It comprises three-quarters of the skin and a third of all the protein in the human body.The primary structure is the sequence of amino acids that gives rise to an unbranched polypeptide chain. Every third amino-acid is glycine. The other amino-acids are mostly proline, hydroxyproline and lysine.The secondary structure consists of a tightly wound molecule.The molecules has a tertiary structure; it is twisted into a second helix.The quaternary structure consists of three helices tightly wound round each other and cross-linked by lysine residues.Every third amino-acid is glycine to ensure the individual chains can get close to each other to be tightly wound. The ends are staggered to ensure that a line of weakness does not run through the molecule.

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Specification: OCR Biology A (H020), AS-level, 2.1.2 Biological molecules. Topic: Biological Molecules.

Key terms in this lesson

primary structure
The sequence of amino acids in a polypeptide chain, joined by peptide bonds.
tertiary structure
The overall three-dimensional shape of a single polypeptide chain, formed and held by bonds between R groups.
quaternary structure
The structure formed when two or more polypeptide chains, or a polypeptide and a prosthetic group, combine to form a functional protein.
fibrous protein
An insoluble, structural protein made of long, parallel polypeptide chains, such as collagen or keratin.

More in Biological Molecules

All 63 lessons in Biological Molecules · All OCR AS-level Biology topics