Aminohappotähde

Aminohappotähde is a Finnish term that translates to "amino acid residue" in English. It refers to a single amino acid that has become part of a peptide or protein chain through the formation of a peptide bond. When amino acids link together to form these larger molecules, the resulting structure from each individual amino acid is no longer considered a free amino acid, but rather an amino acid residue.

The formation of a peptide bond involves the removal of a water molecule from the carboxyl group of one amino acid and the amino group of another. This process occurs during protein synthesis. Each amino acid residue retains its unique side chain, which contributes to the overall properties and function of the protein. Therefore, the sequence of amino acid residues dictates the primary structure of a protein, which in turn influences its three-dimensional folding and biological activity. The term is fundamental in biochemistry and molecular biology when discussing the composition and structure of proteins and peptides.