β-pleated sheets form when two or more polypeptide chain segments line up side by side. Each individual segment is referred to as β-strand. Rather than being coiled, each β-strand is fully extended. β-pleated sheets are stabilised by hydrogen bonds that are formed between the polypeptide backbones N—H and carbonyl group of adjacent chain.

There are two β-pleated sheets:

1. Parallel
2. Anti-parallel