Session 5: Protein Structure and Function

Question 1

Proteins are _________ made up of ________ ______________

Answer 1

polypeptides

amino acids

Question 2

Amino acids are joined covalently by what bonds to give the sequence of the protein?

Answer 2

Peptide bonds

Question 3

The amino acid sequence of a peptide is encoded by what?

Answer 3

A gene

Question 4

The ____________ sequence of a gene determines the amino acid sequence of a protein

Answer 4

nucleotide

Question 5

Polypeptide chain folds into a complex and highly specific 3D structure determined by what?

Answer 5

The sequence of amino acids

Question 6

What is the process by which RNA is produced from DNA?

Answer 6

Transcription

Question 7

What is the process by which RNA is used to create proteins?

Answer 7

Translation

Question 8

What are the general structural features of all amino acids?

Answer 8

An amino group 
A carboxyl group
A central carbon atom 
A hydrogen atom 
A side chain that differs between amino acids (R group)

Question 9

Amino acids are classified based on what?

Answer 9

The chemical and physical properties of the R group

Question 10

What do we call amino acids that are joined together and have therefore lost their amino and hydroxyl groups?

Answer 10

Amino acid residues

Question 11

Acid-base behaviour of amino acids is determined by what?

Answer 11

The R group

Question 12

What is an amino acid residue?

Answer 12

What remains of an amino acid after it has been joined by a peptide bone to form a protein

Question 13

What does the pKa of an acid tel us?

Answer 13

How likely an acid is to ionise

Question 14

The lower the pKa the…..

Answer 14

more likely it is to lose a proton (act as an acid)

Question 15

The higher the pKa the……..

Answer 15

more likely it is to gain a proton (act as a base)

Question 16

Glutamate and aspartate are _____________ charged at physiological pH. They have relatively ______ pKa values.

Answer 16

Negatively

Low