Proteins and Amino Acids

These flashcards cover key vocabulary related to proteins, amino acids, and their structures as presented in the lecture notes.

Amino Acids (AA)

Organic compounds that serve as the building blocks of proteins.

Polypeptide

A chain of amino acids linked together by peptide bonds.

Folding

The process through which a protein acquires its three-dimensional shape.

Dehydration Reaction

A chemical reaction that involves the removal of water to form a covalent bond between amino acids.

Peptide Bond

A covalent bond formed between the amino group of one amino acid and the carboxyl group of another.

N-terminus

The end of a polypeptide chain with a free amino group.

C-terminus

The end of a polypeptide chain with a free carboxyl group.

Primary Structure

The linear sequence of amino acids in a polypeptide chain.

Secondary Structure

Local folding of the polypeptide chain into structures such as alpha helices and beta sheets.

Tertiary Structure

The overall three-dimensional shape of a single polypeptide chain.

Quaternary Structure

The structure formed when two or more polypeptide chains interact to form a functional protein.

Hydrogen Bonds

Weak bonds that stabilize the secondary and tertiary structures of proteins.

Mutation

A change in the nucleotide sequence of DNA that can affect protein structure and function.

Non-Polar Amino Acids

Amino acids that do not have a charge or polar side chains and are hydrophobic.

Polar Amino Acids

Amino acids that have partial charges and can engage in hydrogen bonding.

Charged Amino Acids

Amino acids that carry a positive or negative charge at physiological pH.

Glycine

The simplest amino acid, represented by the letter 'G'.

Alanine

A non-polar amino acid represented by the letter 'A'.

Methionine

A polar amino acid that contains a sulfur atom, represented by the letter 'M'.

Lysine

A basic (positively charged) amino acid represented by the letter 'K'.