Question #260421
What are the forces that determine the folding of a macromolecule into a unique shape?
Expert's answer
Noncovalent interactions form between the subunits of macromolecules-e.g., the side chains of amino acids in a polypeptide chain- and cause the polypeptide chain to assume a unique shape.
These interactions include ionic interactions,hydrogen bonds,Van der Waals interactions, and hydrophobic interactions. These interactions can be broken with relative ease since they are weak; thus, most macromolecules can be unfolded by heating, which increases thermal motion.
