Protein - Chapter 5 Flashcards
1
Q
Protos
A
- Greek for “first”
- origin of the word protein
2
Q
What distinguishes protein from the other macronutrients?
A
- the presence of the element nitrogen
3
Q
Nitrogen
A
- One of the most abundant elements in the earth’s atmosphere and biosphere, essential to the structure of an amino acid.
4
Q
Fertile soil
A
- supports lush foliage because it is rich in nitrogen
5
Q
Legumes
A
- member of a plant family capable of fixing nitrogen from the air and thus not dependent on soil fertility to produce a high protein seed
6
Q
Fix nitrogen
A
- to remove nitrogen from the atmosphere and render it into a chemical form usable by plants
7
Q
Herbivore
A
- Animal that subsists on foods of plant origin
8
Q
Amino Acid
A
- Basic unit from which protein is made
- Consists of an amine group, a carboxyl group, and various side chains
9
Q
Carnivore
A
- Animal that subsists on foods of animal origin
10
Q
How much of the air does nitrogen compose?
A
78 percent of the air
11
Q
How many amino acids are there to create proteins?
A
20
12
Q
What are amino acids composed of?
A
- Carbon
- Hydrogen
- Oxygen
- Nitrogen
- Sometimes, sulfur
13
Q
Amine
A
- an -NH2 chemical group
- nitrogen is present in this chemical group
14
Q
Carboxyl
A
- a -COOH chemical group
- involved in amino acids
15
Q
essential amino acid
A
- One which cannot be synthesized by the body and must therefore be consumed in the diet
16
Q
Urea
A
- a nitrogen-containing compoud found in urine and created as a byproduct of the use of protein for energy
- when nitrogen is left over and must be disposed of
17
Q
High protein diets:
A
- tax the kidneys
- cause water loss through urination
18
Q
All amino acids consist of:
A
- Amine
- Carboxyl
- A side chain
- the amino acid is named for the side chain, which gives it distinct chemical properties
19
Q
Peptide bond
A
- a chemical bond joining two amino acids
20
Q
Peptide
A
- a short chain of amino acids
- range from dipeptides (2 amino acids) to polypeptides
21
Q
Insulin
A
- A peptide hormone responsible for regulation of blood sugar
- composed of 51 amino acids
22
Q
Hormone
A
- a regulatory compound capable of affecting cells throughout the body
- hormones are also peptides
23
Q
Proteins
A
- A very long chain of amino acids
24
Q
Collagen
A
- the primary protein in connective tissue
25
Q
Amylase
A
- Digestive enzyme which breaks down starch
- a protein
26
Q
Sequence
A
- Order in which amino acids appear in a protein, affecting its physical and chemical properties
27
Q
DNA
A
- the genetic material of a cell
- inherited traits are carried
- carries a sequence
28
Q
Genes
A
- unit of genetic information
- the sequence of amino acids in that protein is carried by genes
29
Q
Cooking analogy for proteins
A
- each gene = recipe for a protein
- DNA = cookbook
30
Q
THE process
A
- DNA contains the information necessary to produce proteins
- Transcription or copying of a segment of DNA results in mRNA, a copy of the information in DNA needed to make a protein
- the mRNA leaves the nucleus and goes to a ribosome
- Amino acids are carried to the ribosome by tRNAs containing the code that matches that on the mRNA
- Translation - the information contained in mRNA is used to determine the arrangement, number, and types of amino acids in the protein