What type of bond forms between amino acids in a protein?

A peptide bond is a specific type of covalent bond that forms between the carboxyl group of one amino acid and the amino group of another. This reaction involves the release of a water molecule (a process known as dehydration synthesis), linking the two amino acids together into a longer chain, which ultimately forms a protein.

Understanding how peptide bonds are formed is crucial because they are essential for building proteins, which play vital roles in nearly all biological processes. When amino acids join together through peptide bonds, they fold and create complex structures that determine the protein's function. While covalent bonds are strong and involve shared electrons, not every type of covalent bond is a peptide bond. The other bond types listed, such as ionic and hydrogen bonds, do not specifically refer to the bond that links amino acids in proteins.