[08] Protein Structure and Function Flashcards
What are proteins in the context of biology?
Complex molecules that play many critical roles in organisms.
What are the key functions of proteins?
- Enzyme catalysis
- Defense
- Transport
- Support
- Motion
- Regulation
- Storage
What are the four levels of protein structure?
- Primary structure
- Secondary structure
- Tertiary structure
- Quaternary structure
Define Primary structure of proteins
Sequence of amino acids in a protein.
Define Secondary structure of proteins
Local folding of the protein backbone into structures such as alpha-helices and beta-sheets.
Define Tertiary structure of proteins
Three-dimensional conformation of a protein, including interactions between secondary structural elements; formed from interactions between amino acid side chains.
Define Quaternary structure of proteins
Structure formed by interactions between multiple polypeptide chains (subunits) in a protein.
What type of bond is primarily responsible for the primary structure of proteins?
Peptide bonds.
What types of interactions mainly contribute to the secondary structure of proteins?
Hydrogen bonds between the backbone components of the amino acids.
What types of interactions are mainly involved in the formation of tertiary and quaternary structures of proteins?
- Hydrophobic interactions
- Hydrogen bonds
- Van der Waals interactions
- Ionic bonds<br></br>- Disulfide bonds
Initials: aa
Amino acids
What are amino acids (aa)?
Organic molecules that serve as the building blocks of proteins.
How many standard amino acids are there in proteins?
20
How do the properties of different amino acids influence the function of proteins?
Different amino acids have different properties (such as size, charge, and hydrophobicity) that affect how a protein folds and how it interacts with other molecules.
Initials: 3D
Three-dimensional
