Final answer:
Disulfide bridges, also known as disulfide bonds, are covalent bonds formed between cysteine amino acids that stabilize the tertiary structure of proteins. They play a crucial role in maintaining the 3-dimensional structure of proteins, along with other non-covalent forces. These bonds are formed when the thiol groups of two cysteine residues come close together in a folded protein chain.
Step-by-step explanation:
Disulfide bridges, also known as disulfide bonds, are strong covalent bonds formed between two cysteine amino acids. These bonds play a crucial role in stabilizing the tertiary structure of proteins. When two cysteine residues come close together in a folded protein chain, their thiol (-SH) groups can form a disulfide linkage (-S-S-). This linkage, along with other non-covalent forces, such as hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions, helps maintain the 3-dimensional structure of proteins.