2006-12-28 10:25:58 · 3 answers · asked by bob c 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Biology
They are both the same things.
Proteins are generally long polypeptides, and serve a biological function, such as enzmatic activity, etc.
Polypeptide is a generic term, and can be used to describe a polypeptide chain made in a laboratory, etc that serves no biological function, or the proteins of the body. It is an 'all-inclusive' term for polymers made from amino acid monomers.
2006-12-28 11:38:15 · answer #1 · answered by John 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The only difference is the length. A chain of amino acids considered to short to be a protein is a polypeptide. The hormone Insulin is 6 subunits long and that is very short so it is not a protein it is a polypeptide. I do not know for sure the boundry between the two but proteins are thousands of subunits long.
2006-12-28 10:41:47 · answer #2 · answered by mr.answerman 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A polypeptide is a chain of amino acids connected together by an amide bond.
A protein is a chain of amino acids connected together by amide bond, hydrogen bond and many other bonds.
Basically a polypeptide is just a chain of amino acid with no folding no whatsoever and they are at first degree of protein. However, a normal protein would be at least at the third or fourth degree that has all the required chemical bonds which includes amide bond and foldings.
2006-12-28 10:31:25 · answer #3 · answered by PIPI B 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋