Amino Acids Flashcards
What 3 things do amino acids contain?
- Amine
- Carboxylic Acid
- Sidechain
What 3 things can a side chain be in an amino acid?
- Nonpolar (hydrocarbons)
- Polar (alcohols, amides, thiols)
- Acidic/Basic
How do you determine if an amino acid is an L or D amino acid?
D = Right side or a dash
L = Left side or a wedge
Which amino acids (D or L) are natural?
L amino acids
What are peptides?
A combination of multiple amino acids fragments
How many amino acids does a dipeptide contain? Tripeptide? Tetrapeptide? Polypeptide?
2
3
4
Many; long continuous unbranched peptide chain
What are termini?
The beginning and ends of the peptide fragment
What is the N-terminus?
The beginning of the first amino acid in the peptide sequence; Where the amine is located
What is the C - terminus?
The ending of the last amino acid; where the carboxylic acid is located
How do you determine how many amino acid residues are in a molecule?
Count the number of peptide bonds (amides) and add 1
What is the primary protein structure?
Sequence of amino acids
What is the secondary protein structure?
The fixed arrangements of the polypeptide backbone; can be either alpha helices or beta sheets
What is the difference between an alpha helix and beta sheet?
Alpha helices are stabilized by INTRAmolecular hydrogen bonding while beta sheets are stabilized by INTERmolecular hydrogen bonding
What is the tertiary protein structure?
The unique 3D structure caused by the bending and folding of the protein backbone; determines the biochemical function of a protein
What is the quaternary structure of a protein?
Arrangements of multiple subunits into a larger structure; this helps us understand the function of proteins
