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  Home > JCE Print > Journal of Chemical Education > Issues > 1998  > November  >
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A Maple Program That Illustrates the Effect of pH on Peptide Charge
Charles W. Sokolik
Denison University, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Granville, OH 43023

Cover
November 1998
Vol. 75 No. 11
p. 1500

Abstract
One topic covered early in an introductory biochemistry course is acid-base chemistry and the Henderson-Hasselbalch equation (buffer equation). Using this equation a biochemistry student can determine the partial charges of amino acids in a peptide chain. This is an important concept to master for a student who is learning the structure-function relationship in proteins. The program described in this paper, written for Maple V, release 3 (Waterloo Maple Software, Waterloo, ON, Canada), uses the Henderson-Hasselbalch equation to calculate the partial charges of individual amino acids and the net charge of a peptide over the pH range 0 to 14. The amino acid sequence of a peptide is entered and an animated histogram is displayed illustrating the partial charge of the amino acids over the pH range. A graph showing the net charge of the peptide from pH 0 to 14 is also given. The program has been used with success in an introductory biochemistry course as an in-class demonstration as well as for individual homework assignments. The program is available through the Web page of the Journal of Chemical Education.
Supplement
The program described in the manuscript is available and can be accessed by either the zip or sit files. This program can only be used if you have the software for Maple.
*  Contents
*  Download
supp1500.sit

supp1500.zip

More Information
*  Citation
Sokolik, Charles W. J. Chem. Educ. 1998 75 1500.
*  Keywords
acid-base chem, amino acids, computer assisted instruction, proteins, peptides
*  History
Created:
Last Updated:
June 18, 1999
November 22, 2005
  Home > JCE Print > Journal of Chemical Education > Issues > 1998  > November  > Page 1500


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