Biology Practical Investigation to find the lowest concentration of Copper Sulphate solution that will denature egg albumen.

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Biology Practical Investigation to find the lowest concentration of Copper Sulphate solution that will denature egg albumen

Introduction

Proteins are organic compounds of large molecular mass. They are not truly soluble in water; instead they form colloidal suspensions. Proteins are made up of amino acids..

There are three main types of bonding. The first is a disulphide bond. This occurs between cysteine molecules in the same amino acid chain (intrachain) or between molecules in different chains (interchain). This is the strongest and last bond to break.

The second bond is an ionic bond. At a suitable pH, an interaction may occur between ionised amino and carboxylic groups. This forms an ionic bond. These ionic bonds are weak and can be broken in an aqueous solution by changing the pH of the medium surrounding the polypeptide.

The third bond is the hydrogen bond, which occurs between hydrogen and oxygen atoms within the polypeptide chain. Hydrogen bonds are not strong on their own, although a large number of them together makes them very strong.

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The primary structure is the linear sequence of amino acids stablised by peptide bonds. There are an endless number of different possible primary structure

The secondary structure is the sequence of amino acids arranged as either an alpha helix of a beta pleated sheet stabilised by peptide s. bonds and hydrogen bonds. In an alpha-helix the structure is mainly stablised by hydrogen bonds, which are formed between adjacent CO and NH groups. Tertiary structure is the way in which proteins form to make a three dimensional structure. Polypeptide chains bend and fold to form a globular shape.

The quaternary ...

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***** An excellent description of the structure of proteins. The report is good thus far, consider how you could make the experiment more reliable (repeats) and how you can ensure that the results are accurate by exploring more variables that need to be controlled. Also - you stated copper sulphate is an irritant if it makes contact with the eyes, ensure you include goggles in the equipment list and safety precautions.