Glycoprotein

From The School of Biomedical Sciences Wiki
Revision as of 12:25, 29 November 2012 by 110081636 (talk | contribs) (Created page with "A glycoprotein is a membrane bound protein that has a carbohydrate attached to its extracellular surface.  The carbohydrate is a oligosaccharide chain that is covalently bon...")
(diff) ← Older revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)
Jump to navigation Jump to search

A glycoprotein is a membrane bound protein that has a carbohydrate attached to its extracellular surface.  The carbohydrate is a oligosaccharide chain that is covalently bonded to the amino acid side chain of the protein.  The chain can be of various lengths.  Glycoproteins and glycolipids make up a carbohydrate rich region of the plasma membrane called the glycocalyx, and serve to protect the cell.

(Alberts, B. et al (2008) Molecular Biology of the Cell: 5th Edition, New York: Garland Science)