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Discuss how structure and function are related in proteins. Proteins are made up of amino acids, which are amphoteric and can thus act as buffers in the body, preventing pH change in the cells. This example clearly draws a cause and effect relationship between the structure and function of proteins. The specific configuration of a protein directly affects the function of the protein in a living organism. It affects what the protein can bind with and interact with. Proteins are made of polypeptide chains, which in turn consist of amino acids linked by peptide bonds. The polypeptide chains may interact by forming covalent, ionic or hydrogen bonding with one another, or by hydrophobic interactions, thus creating the specific shape of the protein. If this shape allows another molecule to fit in easily such that the two molecules complement each other, chances are that the protein can act as an enzyme, and the other...

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