Amino Acids and Peptides Lecture Notes

Vocabulary flashcards for key terms related to amino acids, peptides, and protein structure.

Conformation

Spatial arrangement of atoms in a protein

Native conformation

3-D folded conformation with active function

Amino Acid

Basic unit of proteins

α carbon

Carbon directly adjacent to the carboxylic acid functional group

Chiral

Optically-active carbon center; carbon atom that has four different substituents

Zwitterion

Neutral molecule with both positive and negative electrical charges

Isoelectric pH

pH at which amino acid attain its zwitterion form

Peptide bond

Special name given to the amide covalent bond between the α-carboxyl group of one amino acid and the α-amino group of another amino acid

Conformation

Spatial arrangement of atoms in a protein

Native conformation

3-D folded conformation with active function

Amino Acid

Basic unit of proteins

α carbon

Carbon directly adjacent to the carboxylic acid functional group

Chiral

Optically-active carbon center; carbon atom that has four different substituents

Zwitterion

Neutral molecule with both positive and negative electrical charges

Isoelectric pH

pH at which amino acid attain its zwitterion form

Peptide bond

Special name given to the amide covalent bond between the α-carboxyl group of one amino acid and the α-amino group of another amino acid

Polypeptide

Long, unbranched chain of amino acids

Monomeric protein

Protein made of one polypeptide chain

Multimeric protein

Protein with more than one polypeptide chain

Oligomeric protein

Made of several identical subunits

Primary Structure

Amino acid sequence

Secondary Structure

Regularly repeating local structures stabilized by hydrogen bonds

Tertiary Structure

The overall three-dimensional arrangement of all atoms in a protein

Quaternary Structure

Arrangement of multiple subunits in a multi-subunit protein