Chapter 6 - Protein Flashcards
(90 cards)
How many different amino acids are used to make proteins?
20
Define
Protein
Large complex molecules composed of amino acids
What element is protein the primary source of in our diets?
Nitrogen
How many essential amino acids are there?
9; histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, valine
What is the structure of an amino acid?
What reaction occurs to link amino acids together?
Condensation reaction (removal of water)
What does the sequence of amino acids in each protein determine?
Its unique shape and function
What does it mean if an amino acid is conditionally essential?
Nonessential amino acids that become essential in certain circumstances, such as illness or pregnancy
Acronym for essential amino acids: These Ten Valuable Amino Acids Have Long Preserved Life In Man
- Tryptophan
- Threonine
- Valine
- Arginine (conditional)
- Histidine
- Lysine
- Phenylalanine
- Leucine
- Isoleucine
- Methionine
How many amino acids are in a dipeptide? Tripeptide? Polypeptide?
2, 3, >50
What is the primary structure?
- sequence of amino acids joined together
- weak attraction within chain: H+ on one amino acid attracts O- on nearby amino acids
- Determines the type of protein and the way it folds
What is the secondary structure?
- weak attraction within chain: H+ on one amino acid attracts O-on nearby amino acids
What is the tertiary structure?
- hydrophilic and hydrophobic side chains
- disulphide bridges
- Twists and folds in chain, which are joined together by the disulphide bridges
What happens to the structure and function of a protein if it gets damaged?
Regardless of what level the protein is damaged, it may result in a non-functional proten
What is a sequencing errors?
Changes in protein structure and function; sickle cell anemia is an example as it has one different aa from a regular hemoglobin
What happens when a protein is dentaured and when does it occur?
- Denaturation is the loss of structure (unfolding); its a reduction in solubility and functionality
- It occurs >60 degrees, and at acidic pH
What happens to protein in the mouth?
Chewing and crushing moisten protein-rich foods and mix them with saliva to be swallowed
What happens to protein in the stomach?
Hydrochloric acid (HCl) uncoils protein strands and activates stomach enzymes (protein turns into smaller polypeptides)
What does HCl do in the stomach?
- Denatures protein structure
- Activates pepsinogen to pepsin
What happens to proteins in the small intestine and with the pancreas?
Pancreatic and small intestinal enzymes split polypeptides further:
* polypeptides into tri, dipeptides and aas
Then enzymes on the surface of the SI cells hydrolyze the peptides and absorb them:
* Peptides into amino acids
What does Pepsin do in the stomach?
- Cleaves proteins to smaller polypeptides and some free amino acids
- Inhibits pepsinogen synthesis
Why is pepsin released as pepsinogen?
prevents the auto-digestion of protective proteins in the lining of the digestive tract
Define
Pepsin
A gastric enzyme that hydrolyzes protein. Pepsin is secreted in an inactive form, pepsinogen, which is activated by hydrochloric acid in the stomach.
What does enteropeptidase do?
In the SI, it converts pancreatic trypsinogen to trypsin