Name the level of protein structure described in each case…
Contributed by StemPy LabTry it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
Name the level of protein structure described in each case.
- The order in which amino acids follow one another in insulin.
- A right-handed coil of the chain.
- A chain folded like a hollow woolen ball.
- Four chains packed together in haemoglobin.
- A change of one amino acid alters which level first?
Need a reminder? The key ideaShow
An amino acid has a hydrogen atom, an amino group, a carboxyl group and an R group on the alpha carbon. Twenty kinds build proteins: acidic, basic, neutral and aromatic by the R group. In water an amino acid is a zwitterion. A peptide bond joins carboxyl to amino and releases a water, so a chain of n amino acids has n minus 1 bonds. Levels: primary (sequence), secondary (helix), tertiary (fold), quaternary (subunits, as in haemoglobin).
The worked solution
Have you tried it?
Work it out on paper first. It is fine to get stuck or make a mistake: that is how we learn. When you are ready, go through the solution one step at a time, and check each step against your own.
Step 1. (a) Primary.
Step 2. (b) Secondary, the helix.
Step 3. (c) Tertiary.
Step 4. (d) Quaternary.
Step 5. (e) The primary structure, because the sequence has changed.
Answer: (a) primary; (b) secondary; (c) tertiary; (d) quaternary; (e) primary.
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