Final answer:
Using the 20 common amino acids, the maximum number of different 100 amino acid long polypeptides that could be made is 20^100, illustrating the vast potential diversity of protein structures.
Step-by-step explanation:
The maximum number of 100 amino acid long polypeptides that could be made using the 20 common amino acids is given by the formula 20100. This calculation considers that each position in the polypeptide chain could be occupied by any of the 20 different amino acids. Thus, the potential diversity of polypeptides is enormous.
Given the formula for calculating the number of possible polypeptides, which is 20 raised to the power of the number of amino acids in the polypeptide, the theoretical maximum number is 20100. This is an incredibly large number, illustrating the vast diversity of polypeptides that could be created, each with a unique sequence and potential function.
It is also important to note that while the number of possible polypeptides is large, not all potential sequences may result in functional proteins. The sequences must be 'correct' in order for the polypeptides to be physiologically active, similar to the way that letters must form meaningful words in a language.