Ch.3 Proteins & Processes Flashcards
Proteins
polymer of amino acids (amino acids are the monomers)
Polypeptides
chains of amino acids; min ‘ bimum of 51 amino acids required to a be a polypeptide,
4 levels of protein structure
Primary Structure 1 degree: amino acid chains
Secondary structure 2 degree: amino acid chains either form pleated sheets or helices (helix); HELD TOGETHER BY HYDROGEN / BONDS
Tertiary Structure 3 degree: sheets and helices fold to form a protein;
Quaternary Structure degree 4: 2 or more polypeptide chains, associating into ONE larger molecule
Why does protein shape matter so much?
shape determines overall function: specifically for destroying bacteria, needs to be the same shape as it
Difference between RNA and DNA
RNA: has ribs
DNA: deoxy-ribos = missing an oxygen
Nucleic acids
chains of nucleotides; monomers are nucleotides
A C T G nucleic acids and what they bond with
A & T: Adenine and Thymine
C & G: Cytosin and guanine
Uracil
in RNA, equivalent to thymine in DNA
How are chains of nucleic acids held together in DNA?
through hydrogen bonds
mRNA function and definition
messenger RNA: message that leaves nucleus
Messenger RNA molecules carry the genetic information needed to make proteins. They carry the information from the DNA in the nucleus of the cell to the cytoplasm where the proteins are made.
Codon function and definition
tell cell which amino acid goes in chain to get the polypeptide chain outcome
What is translation, where does it occur, and what does it do? What is another name for translation?
WHERE?-Occurs in cytoplasm of the cell
-WHAT? translates RNA to protein (translating from one ‘cellular’ language to another)
-HOW? translation is protein synthesis
What is transcription, where does it occur, and what does it do?
-WHERE? occurs in nucleus
-WHAT? takes it from nucleic acid to nucleic acid (DNA TO RNA) which is the same cellular language
What happens if the polypeptide chain doesn’t fold properly into the protein?
this is a mutation: won’t be folded which means it can’t fully function or it might die
Three major groups of Lipids and properties
fats, phospholipids, steroids
NOT MACROMOLECULES
-All non polar: won’t dissolve in water
Hydrophobic
What is the phospholipid bilayer of the cell membrane? (Nuclear membrane)
Seperates extracellular fluid from intracellular fluid: acts as a barrier
Because the extracellular fluid is essentially water, only the hydrophilic heads can be in it and the hydrophilic tails are tucked in
Structure of the phospholipid molecule
two tails: hydrophobic, no polar regions
Hydrophilic head: has polar regions
Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum
folded layers of membrane where proteins are FOLDED/ASSEMBLED
studded with ribosomes
Cytosol
fluid in which the cell’s internal structures are suspended: intracellular fluid
Microtubules in Neurons
tiny tube that transports molecules and helps give the cell its shape (part of the cytoskeleton)
Golgi body of the neuron
same as Golgi apparatus
tells cells where proteins should go
Membranous structure that PACKAGES protein molecules for transport
Lysosomes of the neuron
sacs containing digestive enzymes that break down wastes; if it bursts through the phospholipid membrane the cell will digest itself
Microfilaments of the neuron
threadlike fibers making up much of the cell’s skeleton
Cytoplasm
everything between the plasma membrane and nucleus