Side Chains

Side chains are variable molecular groups attached to a common backbone, and in biology they give amino acids their distinct chemical and physical properties. In a polypeptide, each side chain, or R group, can be nonpolar, polar, acidic, or basic; its charge, polarity, and ability to form hydrogen bonds or disulfide bonds influence interactions with water and neighboring residues. These interactions drive protein folding and help create active sites that bind substrates, cofactors, or other molecules. Comparing side-chain chemistry allows researchers to predict protein structure and function, interpret mutations, design experiments, and understand how changes in amino acid sequence can alter cellular processes.

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JoVE Core - Biology

Electron Transport Chains

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2019

The final stage of cellular respiration is oxidative phosphorylation that consists of two steps: the electron transport chain and chemiosmosis. The electron transport chain is a set of proteins found in the inner mitochondrial membrane in eukaryotic cells. Its primary function is to establish a proton gradient that can be used during chemiosmosis to produce ATP and generate electron carriers, such as NAD+ and FAD, that are used in glycolysis and the citric acid cycle. The ETC is comprised of...

Supply Chain and Supply Chain Management

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2025

Individuals, organizations, resources, activities, and technology are all involved in creating and selling a product. The process typically begins with sourcing raw materials from suppliers, progresses through manufacturing to produce finished goods, continues with warehousing, and culminates in distribution to consumers. Supply Chain Management, or SCM oversees the seamless flow of goods, information, and finances across these stages, aiming to optimize costs, manage inventory levels...

Radical Chain-Growth Polymerization: Chain Branching

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2023

The skeletal structure of polymers synthesized via radical polymerization is always branched. For example, the polymerization of ethylene by radical polymerization results in a low-density grade of polyethylene with a heavily branched skeletal structure. Here, the radical site abstracts hydrogen from the growing chain, and the radical site shifts from the end (a primary carbon center) to anywhere within the growing chain (a secondary carbon center). Consequently, the part of the chain from the...

The Chain Rule

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2026

A system of interconnected gears provides a concrete physical interpretation of the Chain Rule in calculus. Consider three gears arranged in sequence, where the rotational speeds of the first, second, and third gears are represented by the variables x, z, and y, respectively. The first gear drives the second, and the second drives the third, so the motion of each gear depends on the one preceding it. This structure naturally leads to a two-stage variable relationship that can be analyzed using...

Chain Reactions

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2026

Chain reactions involve highly reactive transient species, such as atoms or free radicals, as intermediates. These intermediates facilitate rapid reactions over an extended period. The process includes a series of steps: a reactive intermediate is consumed, reactants are converted to products, and the intermediate is regenerated. This cycle enables continuous repetition, amplifying the production of products with a small amount of intermediate. Chain reactions often utilize free radicals as...

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