Chapter 3
Electrostatic and Van Der Waals Forces
Nene Takio, Dencil Basumatary, Meera Yadav* and Hardeo Singh Yadav
Abstract
Non-covalent intermolecular interactions are the fundamental forces which defines all the shape and structural stability of the biomolecules. Hydrogen bonds hold strands of DNA together and also responsible for determining the three-dimensional structure of folded proteins, whereas electrostatic and vander waals interactions are found to be a dominant factor in determining conformation of biomolecules. Noncovalent forces are individually weak relative to covalent bonds, but the cumulative effect of such interactions in a protein or nucleic acid can be very significant. They all play a fundamental role in fields as diverse as supramolecular chemistry, structural biology, polymer science and nanotechnology.
Total Pages: 55-89 (35)
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