how is a protein different from a polypeptide ?

Question

blues · Answer

The difference is to some extent semantic.

Polypeptides are simply chains of multiple peptide monomers - they don't necessarily have to be complete, code for anything, or exhibit higher structural levels. By contrast proteins have a defined sequence and specific structures and functions.

That's my ten cents worth, anyway. Other people probably have slightly different opinions on the subject.

anonymous · Answer

Proteins are made up of amino acids and joined by peptide bonds. polypeptides are chains of amino acids

anonymous · Answer

Poly peptide is translated to many peptides and thats simply what it is. A protein is a poly peptide with structure and usually a function of some kind in a cell be it enzymatic, transport etc etc we can take ploy peptides to proteins via folding in the ER or Golgi and vise versa

anonymous · Answer

polypeptide and protein are very similar term, can be used at place of each other many times.
usually peptide is term used for fragment of protein chain, or a chain of amino acid which do not carry out any fuction individually.
protein have a defined fuction, it may not be a single chain.

e.g. Heamoglobin its a PROTEIN made up of 4 POLYPEPTIDES, two alpha chain and two beta chains.

anonymous · Answer

Side note on heamoglobin; its classified in adults as two alpha chains and two non alpha chains as we actually have 3 types in the Adult not just Beta chains, just an FYI
:)