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Chapter 25: Problem 27

Discuss the importance of hydrogen bonding in biological systems. Use proteins and nucleic acids as examples.

Short Answer

Expert verified
Hydrogen bonding is extraordinarily important in biological systems. In proteins, they are an essential element in holding together secondary structures (like alpha-helices and beta-sheets) and assist in stabilizing the overall 3D structure of the protein. In nucleic acids, they are responsible for ensuring accurate base pairing, a factor crucial for the stability of the double helix structure of DNA and its precise replication and transcription.

Step by step solution

01

Understanding the hydrogen bond

Firstly, hydrogen bond is a type of attractive intermolecular force that exists between two partial electric charges of opposite polarity. Although weaker than covalent bonds and ionic bonds, hydrogen bonds are stronger than Van der Waals forces and dipole-dipole interactions, and thus play an important role in determining the properties and structures of many molecules.
02

Hydrogen bonds in proteins

In proteins, hydrogen bonds have a valuable role in both the formation of the secondary structure and the stabilizing of the overall 3D structure. For example, in an alpha helix, a common structure in proteins, hydrogen bonds are established between every fourth peptide bond. This pattern of bonds helps to maintain the tightly coiled structure of the helix. Moreover, in the tertiary structure of a protein, hydrogen bonds might occur between the R-groups of the amino acids that make up the protein. These bonds help to stabilize the overall 3D structure of the protein.
03

Hydrogen bonds in nucleic acids

In nucleic acids, like DNA and RNA, hydrogen bonds are responsible for the base pairing, which is key to the replication of genetic information. In DNA molecules, adenine pairs with thymine via two hydrogen bonds, while guanine pairs with cytosine via three hydrogen bonds. The same hydrogen bonding pattern occurs in RNA, but instead of thymine, adenine pairs with uracil. This hydrogen bonding pattern is critical for maintaining the double-helix structure of DNA and for accurate replication and transcription of genetic information.

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