Proteins

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AP Biology › Proteins

Questions 1 - 10
1

Which of the following types of dimensionality best characterize proteins folded into a tertiary structure?

Three-dimensional

One-dimensional

Two-dimensional

Some areas are one-dimensional and others are two-dimensional

Explanation

The tertiary structure of protein folding has a polypeptide chain backbone and a number of protein secondary structures: alpha helices and beta-pleated sheets. The tertiary structure is three-dimensional. The protein folding that causes the formation of the tertiary structure is influenced by hydrophobic interactions, disulfide bridges, hydrogen bonds, and salt bridges that create hydrophobic and hydrophilic regions.

2

When cooking an egg, opening the egg over a hot pan causes the non-yolk part of the egg to go from clear and viscous to white and solid. Adding heat to the egg white protein part of the egg is part of a process called what?

Denaturation

Hybridization

Thermosolidification

Naturalization

Thermodynamics

Explanation

Denaturation is the correct answer here. The denaturation of a protein occurs when a catalyst causes the disruption and/or destruction of the bonds in a protein structure. Heat is one of the ways to denature a protein because the heat causes the molecules to vibrate quickly and coagulate into the white substance we eat.

3

Which of the following conditions can disrupt normal protein folding?

All of these

Temperature

Chemical interference

pH

Explanation

Disruption of normal protein folding or denaturation—protein unfolding—occurs under certain environmental conditions. Denaturation is defined as the loss of quaternary, tertiary, and secondary folding through the disruption of protein subunits and bonds. The environmental conditions that cause denaturation include the following: extreme temperatures, chemical interference, and extreme pH levels. Denatured proteins may sometimes refold if conditions stabilize; however, this does not typically happen.

4

What special bond is formed when two cysteine residues come together in a protein?

A disulfide bridge

A hydrogen bond

An ionic bond

A covalent bond

A dipole-dipole interaction

Explanation

Cysteine is an amino acid that contain a sulfhydryl group . When two sulfhydryl groups come together and get oxidized they form a bond, which is referred to as a disulfide bond or a disulfide bridge.

5

There are 3 types of RNA. Which type is is responsible for binding to amino acids and bringing them to the ribosome during translation?

tRNA

rRNA

mRNA

miRNA

siRNA

Explanation

tRNA, or transfer RNA, is responsible for binding amino acids and delivering them to the ribosome during translation. tRNA binds amino acids with its anticodon. The anticodon is a sequence of 3 nucleotides that are complimentary to the codon of a specific amino acid. Anticodons can only bind to codons that are complementary in sequence; this ensures that the correct amino acids are chosen.

6

Which of the following types of dimensionality best characterize proteins folded into a tertiary structure?

Three-dimensional

One-dimensional

Two-dimensional

Some areas are one-dimensional and others are two-dimensional

Explanation

The tertiary structure of protein folding has a polypeptide chain backbone and a number of protein secondary structures: alpha helices and beta-pleated sheets. The tertiary structure is three-dimensional. The protein folding that causes the formation of the tertiary structure is influenced by hydrophobic interactions, disulfide bridges, hydrogen bonds, and salt bridges that create hydrophobic and hydrophilic regions.

7

What special bond is formed when two cysteine residues come together in a protein?

A disulfide bridge

A hydrogen bond

An ionic bond

A covalent bond

A dipole-dipole interaction

Explanation

Cysteine is an amino acid that contain a sulfhydryl group . When two sulfhydryl groups come together and get oxidized they form a bond, which is referred to as a disulfide bond or a disulfide bridge.

8

Which of the following statements about quaternary protein structure is true?

Proteins displaying quaternary structure are made up of two or more polypeptide chains

Quaternary structure is primarily held together by disulfide bonds

Quaternary structure is primarily held together by peptide bonds

All proteins display quaternary structure

Explanation

Quaternary protein structure is distinguished by the fact that several polypeptide chains come together to make a functional protein. This is different than the first three levels of protein structure, which only involve one polypeptide chain. Quaternary structure is held together primarily by hydrophobic interactions between the polypeptide chains (ionic and/or hydrogen bonding is often seen as well). Each polypeptide chain forms a subunit of the protein.

9

When cooking an egg, opening the egg over a hot pan causes the non-yolk part of the egg to go from clear and viscous to white and solid. Adding heat to the egg white protein part of the egg is part of a process called what?

Denaturation

Hybridization

Thermosolidification

Naturalization

Thermodynamics

Explanation

Denaturation is the correct answer here. The denaturation of a protein occurs when a catalyst causes the disruption and/or destruction of the bonds in a protein structure. Heat is one of the ways to denature a protein because the heat causes the molecules to vibrate quickly and coagulate into the white substance we eat.

10

What is a similarity between all amino acids in the body?

All contain amino and carboxyl groups

All contain side chains

All are used in every protein in the body

All fit into the alpha-helix structure

All can be used as the first amino acid in a protein structure

Explanation

The amino acids, as denoted by the name, contain amino and carboxyl groups. Each amino acid has the amine group connected to a central carbon, which is then connected to a carboxyl group.

Amino acids may contain R-groups on the central carbon, and all amino acids have a specific R-group except for glycine, which is the simplest amino acid. Glycine is bound to an extra hydrogen atom in place of an R-group. Only methionine can start a protein structure; methionine is coded by the start codon on an mRNA sequence. Some amino acids are capable of forming alpha-helices, while others are capable of disrupting and breaking alpha-helices. Proline, for example, frequently disrupts this secondary structure. Each protein is coded by a specific sequence of amino acids; not all proteins will contain every amino acid.

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