What are polypeptides?

Polypeptides are specifically defined as long chains of amino acids linked by peptide bonds. Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins, and when they are joined together through peptide bonds during a dehydration synthesis reaction, they form polypeptides. These chains can vary in length, consisting of dozens to thousands of amino acids, and the sequence and arrangement of these amino acids are crucial, as they ultimately determine the structure and function of the protein that the polypeptide will form.

Understanding polypeptides is fundamental, as they represent the primary structure of proteins, which are essential macromolecules that perform a wide array of functions in living organisms, including catalyzing metabolic reactions, replicating DNA, and transporting molecules.