Biology help please

[bard]

what is the difference between amino acids on thier own and amino acids that have been incorporated into a polypeptide chain?

My answer is that amino acids on their on do nothing. However when they interact they create a protein which eventually takes on a particular function.

why does boiling an egg cause it to harden?
why does it require both a detergent and a reducing agent to dissolve the hard boiled white.

Thanks

[ms. confused]

Hey there! It's been a while since I've had Biology but I'm pretty sure you're thinking in the right direction. I haven't read anywhere that amino acids do anything else except bond to each other and produce proteins which have either structural or functional purposes. On their own, they're drifters just kind of floating around in the cell until they are ready to be used. This is about all I can explain right now...not sure what you mean by your last couple of questions. Do they have to do with amino acids in particular or the proteins formed by them? :uhh: