Hundreds of thousands of proteins have been discovered inliving organisms. Yet, as astonishing as this diversity is,these molecules constitute only a small fraction of thosethat are possible. Calculate the total number of possibledecapeptides (molecules with 10 amino acid residues linkedby peptide bonds) that could be synthesized from the 20standard amino acids. If you were to spend 5 minutes writing out the molecular structure of each possible decapeptide,how long would the task take?

Biochemistry
9th Edition
ISBN:9781319114671
Author:Lubert Stryer, Jeremy M. Berg, John L. Tymoczko, Gregory J. Gatto Jr.
Publisher:Lubert Stryer, Jeremy M. Berg, John L. Tymoczko, Gregory J. Gatto Jr.
Chapter1: Biochemistry: An Evolving Science
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Hundreds of thousands of proteins have been discovered in
living organisms. Yet, as astonishing as this diversity is,
these molecules constitute only a small fraction of those
that are possible. Calculate the total number of possible
decapeptides (molecules with 10 amino acid residues linked
by peptide bonds) that could be synthesized from the 20
standard amino acids. If you were to spend 5 minutes writing out the molecular structure of each possible decapeptide,
how long would the task take?

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