Chapter 7: Organic Macromolecules in Cellular Structures, Metabolism, and as Drugs: From Amino Acids to Proteins

Proteins are macromolecules fundamental to the structure, function, and regulation of the body at all levels: cellular, tissues, organs and systemic. Understanding their function requires a review of their basic chemistry starting from the amino acids from which they are made. This chapter describes the chemistry of amino acids and the chemical basis of primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary structures of proteins. While proteins serve as the main targets for drugs, many drug molecules and toxins can also derive from amino acids, peptides, and proteins.