What functional groups are involved in forming a peptide bond?

A peptide bond is formed between the amino group (\(- NH_ 2\)) of one amino acid and the carboxyl group (\(- COOH\)) of another amino acid. During this process, a molecule of water is released (a condensation reaction), resulting in the formation of a peptide bond (\(- CO- NH- \)).

Supplemental Knowledge:

In organic chemistry, a peptide bond is a covalent bond that links amino acids together to form proteins. The functional groups involved in forming a peptide bond are:

1. Amino Group (-NH2): This group is present at the N-terminus of an amino acid. 
2. Carboxyl Group (-COOH): This group is present at the C-terminus of another amino acid.

As part of the formation process for peptide bonds, carboxyl groups of amino acids interact with amino groups of another, leading to water being liberated through dehydration synthesis or condensation reaction reactions and creating what's known as peptide bonds - bonds between carbon atoms from one amino group and nitrogen atoms in another.

From Concepts to Reality:

Consider how your body makes proteins from food you eat: when you ingest protein-rich items like meat, beans or nuts, your digestive system breaks these proteins down into individual amino acids that are then reassembled back together into new proteins through peptide bonds to perform various functions such as building muscle tissue, repairing cells or producing enzymes in your body.

Biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries use synthetic peptides as research or therapeutic tools, with knowledge of how peptide bonds form providing them the opportunity to synthesize specific compounds to treat diseases or examine biological processes.

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