Proteins Flashcards
Haemoglobin
a red pigment that carries oxygen and gives erythrocytes their colour
Amino acids
the building blocks of proteins consisting of an amino group -(NH2) and a carboxyl group -(COOH) attached to a carbon atom and an R group that varies between amino acids
Peptide bonds
bonds formed by condensation reactions between amino acids.
dipeptide
Two amino acids joined together by a peptide bond
disulfide bond
a strong covalent bond produced by an oxidation reaction between sulfur groups in cysteine or methionine molecules, which are close together in the structure of a polypeptide.
Fibrous proteins
proteins that have long, parallel polypeptide chains with occasional cross-linkages that produce fibres; they have little tertiary structure
denaturation
the loss of the 3D shape of a protein (e.g caused by changes in temperature or pH)
Globular proteins
large proteins with complex tertiary and sometimes quaternary structures, folded into spherical (globular shapes)
Hydrophobic
a substance that tends to repel water and will not mix with or dissolve in water
Hydrophilic
a substance with an affinity for water that will readily dissolve in or mix with water
Colloid
a suspension of molecules that are not fully dissolved
Prosthetic group
the molecule incorporated in a conjugated protein
conjugated proteins
protein molecules joined with or conjugated to another molecule called a prosthetic group.
Lipoproteins
conjugated proteins with a lipid prosthetic group
glycoproteins
conjugated proteins with a carbohydrate prosthetic group