Join thousands of students who trust us to help them ace their exams!Watch the first video
Multiple Choice
In the dipeptide shown below, which answer choice correctly identifies the location of the peptide bond?\[\text{Glycine} - \ce{NH2-CH2-COOH} + \text{Alanine} - \ce{NH2-CH(CH3)-COOH}\]A segment of the resulting dipeptide is:\[\ce{NH2-CH2-CO-NH-CH(CH3)-COOH}\]Which bond is the peptide bond?
A
The bond between the alpha carbon of glycine and its amino group (\ce{CH2-NH2})
B
The bond between the carboxyl group of alanine and its alpha carbon (\ce{COOH-CH(CH3)})
C
The bond between the carbonyl carbon (C=O) of glycine and the nitrogen (N) of alanine (\ce{CO-NH})
D
The bond between the methyl group of alanine and its alpha carbon (\ce{CH3-CH})
Verified step by step guidance
1
Step 1: Understand the concept of a peptide bond. A peptide bond is a covalent bond formed between the carboxyl group (-COOH) of one amino acid and the amino group (-NH2) of another amino acid during a condensation reaction, releasing a molecule of water ( ext{H2O}).
Step 2: Analyze the structure of the dipeptide provided. The dipeptide is formed by glycine ( ext{NH2-CH2-COOH}) and alanine ( ext{NH2-CH(CH3)-COOH}). The resulting dipeptide structure is ext{NH2-CH2-CO-NH-CH(CH3)-COOH}.
Step 3: Locate the peptide bond in the dipeptide structure. The peptide bond is the ext{CO-NH} linkage formed between the carbonyl carbon (C=O) of glycine and the nitrogen (N) of alanine.
Step 4: Eliminate incorrect options. The bond between the alpha carbon of glycine and its amino group ( ext{CH2-NH2}) is not a peptide bond, as it is part of the glycine structure. Similarly, the bond between the carboxyl group of alanine and its alpha carbon ( ext{COOH-CH(CH3)}) and the bond between the methyl group of alanine and its alpha carbon ( ext{CH3-CH}) are structural bonds within alanine and not peptide bonds.
Step 5: Confirm the correct answer. The peptide bond is specifically the bond between the carbonyl carbon (C=O) of glycine and the nitrogen (N) of alanine ( ext{CO-NH}). This is the defining feature of a peptide bond in the dipeptide structure.