How many different proteins, each with a unique amino acid sequence, can be constructed that have a length of five amino acids?

Short Answer

Expert verified
Answer: 3,200,000 different proteins can be constructed.

Step by step solution

01

Determine the number of amino acids

There are 20 different amino acids that can be present in a protein.
02

Calculate the possible amino acid combinations

As there are 5 positions for amino acids in the protein and 20 different amino acids to choose from, we have 20 choices for each position. The multiplication principle is used to determine the total number of unique sequences: \(20*20*20*20*20\), or \(20^5\).
03

Compute the result

Calculate the result of the expression, \(20^5\): \(20^5 = 3200000\) Hence, there are 3,200,000 different proteins that can be constructed with a unique sequence of amino acids and a length of five amino acids.

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