Proteins and enzymes Flashcards
What is a protein built up from?
A large number of sub units called amino acids.
How many different types of amino acids are there?
20.
What happens to the amino acids to form a protein?
They are joined together in a chain. Each chain normally consists of hundreds of amino acids.
Depending on which amino acids are in a chain what else can be formed?
Further bonds between certain amino acids.
What does the formation of extra bonds between amino acids in a chain do to the structure of the chain?
It makes the chain coil up and become folded in a characteristic way.
What does the exact nature of the coiling folding of the amino acid chain depend on?
The sequence of amino acids present in the chain.
What does the sequence of amino acids determine?
The of the protein, which in turn determines the function it will carry out.
What does the shape of different protein molecules show?
Wide variation.
Describe the shape of an enzyme molecule.
A roughly spherical shape.
Describe the structure of protein molecules that make up bones and connective tissues.
They often take the form of rope like fibres.
Describe the structure of the protein molecules that form part of the cell membrane.
These tend to be spherical or ovoid.
Describe the structure of protein molecules that make up antibodies.
These are Y- shaped.
What molecules present in the human body perform the widest range of functions?
Proteins.
Amino acid chains within a enzyme are folded and coiled in a particular way to expose what?
The active site.
What does the active site of an enzyme combine with?
A substrate.
