This image illustrates the general structure of an amino acid.The central carbon atom (C) is bonded to a hydrogen atom (H), an amino group (NH2), a carboxyl group (COOH), and a variable side chain (R ...

The Bennu discovery helps to illuminate how, early in the Solar System’s history, asteroids and other planetary building blocks were not just “lumps of stone and ice, but active ‘living’ objects”, ...

In fact, each gene in cellular DNA contains the code for a unique protein structure. Not only are these proteins assembled with different amino acid sequences, but they also are held together by ...

The sequence of amino acids in the chain determines how the ... form attachments and interact with many other molecules and structures inside organisms. The shape of a protein determines what ...

The specific structure of a protein determines its unique biological function. (click on image to enlarge) (Image: National Human Genom Research Institute) Proteins are built from a set of 20 standard ...