Here's how it works:

* Peptide bond: The two amino acids link together through a peptide bond. This bond is formed between the carboxyl group (COOH) of one amino acid and the amino group (NH2) of the other.

* Water molecule: A molecule of water (H2O) is released during this process.

Example:

Imagine two amino acids: Glycine (Gly) and Alanine (Ala).

* Glycine has the structure: NH2-CH2-COOH

* Alanine has the structure: NH2-CH(CH3)-COOH

When they join, they form Gly-Ala:

NH2-CH2-CO-NH-CH(CH3)-COOH + H2O

This dipeptide, Gly-Ala, now has a new amino-terminal end (NH2) and a new carboxyl-terminal end (COOH).

Note: This process can continue, linking multiple amino acids together to form longer chains, called polypeptides or proteins.