A molecule made up of a chain of amino acids is called a?

A molecule made up of a chain of amino acids is called a?

• A. Amino acids
• B. Hemoglobin
• C. Polypeptide
• D. Enzyme

Answer: (C)

Proteins are built from amino acids linked together by peptide bonds to form a chain called a polypeptide. The polypeptide is the actual polymer made from amino acids; when it folds into a specific three-dimensional shape and gains a function, it becomes a protein. Hemoglobin is an example of a protein composed of polypeptide chains, and an enzyme is another type of protein with a catalytic role. The essential point is that the chain itself—the sequence of amino acids joined together—is a polypeptide, whereas amino acids are the building blocks, not the chain itself.

Proteins are built from amino acids linked together by peptide bonds to form a chain called a polypeptide. The polypeptide is the actual polymer made from amino acids; when it folds into a specific three-dimensional shape and gains a function, it becomes a protein. Hemoglobin is an example of a protein composed of polypeptide chains, and an enzyme is another type of protein with a catalytic role. The essential point is that the chain itself—the sequence of amino acids joined together—is a polypeptide, whereas amino acids are the building blocks, not the chain itself.