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  • Hydrogen Bond Biology Definition

Hydrogen Bond Biology Definition

In biology, hydrogen bonding is a special kind of intermolecular force. Its definition is quite crucial, because after the hydrogen atom binds to the atom X with large electronegativity and small radius (such as fluorine, oxygen, nitrogen, etc.) in a covalent bond, if it is close to another electronegative atom Y, a weak interaction between X and Y is formed, which is a hydrogen bond.

This force is of great significance in biological systems. In the secondary structure of proteins, the carbonyl oxygen on the main chain of the polypeptide chain can form a hydrogen bond between the hydrogen amide, thereby maintaining the structure of α-helix and β-fold, which plays a key role in the stability of the spatial conformation of proteins.

In the field of nucleic acids, the maintenance of DNA double helix structure also relies on hydrogen bonds. Adenine (A) and thymine (T) are paired with two hydrogen bonds, and guanine (G) and cytosine (C) are paired with three hydrogen bonds. This specific base pairing principle and the role of hydrogen bonds enable accurate storage and transmission of genetic information.

In addition, in the interaction of many biological macromolecules and the process of biochemical reactions, hydrogen bonds play a non-negligible role, either assisting molecular recognition or affecting the combination of enzymes and substrates. They play an indispensable role in the normal operation of many physiological processes in organisms.