The average molecular weight of the 20 standard amino acids is 138, but biochemists use 110 when estimating the number of amino acids in a protein of known molecular weight. Why?

A) The number 110 is based on the fact that the average molecular weight of a protein is 110,000 with an average of 1,000 amino acids.
B) The number 110 reflects the higher proportion of small amino acids in proteins, as well as the loss of water when the peptide bond forms.
C) The number 110 reflects the number of amino acids found in the typical small protein, and only small proteins have their molecular weight estimated this way.
D) The number 110 takes into account the relatively small size of nonstandard amino acids.
E) The number 138 represents the molecular weight of conjugated amino acids.


Ans: B) The number 110 reflects the higher proportion of small amino acids in proteins, as well as the loss of water when the peptide bond forms.

Biology & Microbiology

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