(Redirected from Polypeptide Peptides (from the Greek πεπτος,
"digestable"), are the family of molecules formed from the
linking, in a defined order, of various amino acids. The link
between one amino acid residue and the next is an amide bond,
and is sometimes referred to as a peptide bond. An amide bond is
somewhat shorter than a typical carbon-nitrogen single bond, and
has a partial double-bond character, because the participating
carbon molecule is doubly bonded to an oxygen molecule and the
nitrogen has a lone pair of electrons available for bonding.
Peptides (like proteins) occur in nature and are responsible for
a wide array of functions, many of which are not yet understood.
Antimicrobial peptides generally disrupt the membranes of a
target cell, causing lysis of the cell. How this occurs, and
what determines the activity and selectivity of these peptides,
is currently only known approximately. It has also been
documented that when certain food proteins such as gluten,
casein, egg protein and spinach