AP Biology Flashcards: Proteins

What this deck covers

This deck focuses on Proteins, giving you a quick way to review the definitions, rules, and examples that matter most for AP Biology.

How to use these flashcards

Work through these flashcards in short sessions. Try to answer each prompt before flipping the card, then revisit any cards you miss until the explanation feels automatic.

Flashcard 1: What is the role of ferritin?

Answer: Stores iron in cells. Storage protein that safely sequesters iron for cellular use.

Flashcard 2: What is the role of myosin?

Answer: Motor protein involved in muscle contraction. Converts chemical energy to mechanical force for movement.

Flashcard 3: What is the role of insulin?

Answer: Regulates blood glucose levels. Hormone that lowers blood sugar by promoting glucose uptake.

Flashcard 4: Which amino acid is most commonly found in collagen?

Answer: Glycine. Smallest amino acid allows tight turns in collagen helix.

Flashcard 5: What is the function of rhodopsin?

Answer: Photoreceptor protein in the retina. Light-sensitive protein that initiates vision in rod cells.

Flashcard 6: Identify the protein responsible for oxygen storage in muscles.

Answer: Myoglobin. Single-chain protein that stores oxygen in muscle tissue.

Flashcard 7: Which bond is formed between the carboxyl and amino group of two amino acids?

Answer: Peptide bond. Dehydration reaction creates covalent linkage in protein backbone.

Flashcard 8: Which protein structure is affected by denaturation?

Answer: Secondary, tertiary, quaternary structures. Higher-order structures unfold while primary structure remains intact.

Flashcard 9: What is the effect of pH on protein structure?

Answer: Can lead to denaturation. Extreme pH disrupts hydrogen bonds and ionic interactions.

Flashcard 10: What type of interaction stabilizes tertiary protein structure?

Answer: Hydrophobic interactions, disulfide bridges. Side chain interactions create and maintain 3D protein shape.

Flashcard 11: What is the role of catalase?

Answer: Breaks down hydrogen peroxide. Antioxidant enzyme that protects cells from oxidative damage.

Flashcard 12: Identify a protein involved in immune response.

Answer: Antibodies. Immunoglobulins that provide specific defense against pathogens.

Flashcard 13: What is the impact of temperature on enzyme activity?

Answer: High temperature can denature enzymes. Extreme heat breaks bonds that maintain enzyme active site.

Flashcard 14: What is the role of elastin?

Answer: Provides elasticity to tissues. Allows tissues to stretch and return to original shape.

Flashcard 15: Identify the technique used to determine protein structure.

Answer: X-ray crystallography. Uses X-rays to reveal atomic-level protein structure details.

Flashcard 16: Which structure level involves alpha helices and beta sheets?

Answer: Secondary structure. Formed by hydrogen bonds between backbone atoms in polypeptide.

Flashcard 17: Which bond is formed between the carboxyl and amino group of two amino acids?

Answer: Peptide bond. Dehydration reaction creates covalent linkage in protein backbone.

Flashcard 18: What is the effect of pH on protein structure?

Answer: Can lead to denaturation. Extreme pH disrupts hydrogen bonds and ionic interactions.

Flashcard 19: Which structure is the sequence of amino acids in a polypeptide?

Answer: Primary structure. Foundation level that determines all higher structural levels.

Flashcard 20: What is the quaternary structure of proteins?

Answer: Assembly of multiple polypeptide chains. Multiple polypeptides combine to form functional protein complexes.

Flashcard 21: Identify a protein involved in cell signaling.

Answer: Receptors. Membrane proteins that detect and respond to chemical signals.

Flashcard 22: What is the quaternary structure of proteins?

Answer: Assembly of multiple polypeptide chains. Multiple polypeptides combine to form functional protein complexes.

Flashcard 23: What is the role of chaperone proteins?

Answer: Assist in protein folding. Prevent misfolding and help proteins achieve proper 3D structure.

Flashcard 24: What is the function of rhodopsin?

Answer: Photoreceptor protein in the retina. Light-sensitive protein that initiates vision in rod cells.

Flashcard 25: Identify one example of a globular protein.

Answer: Hemoglobin. Compact, spherical protein with complex tertiary structure.

Flashcard 26: Identify the protein that acts as a buffer in blood.

Answer: Albumin. Most abundant blood protein that maintains osmotic pressure.

Flashcard 27: What is the role of hemoglobin?

Answer: Transport oxygen in blood. Iron-containing protein binds and carries oxygen molecules.

Flashcard 28: What determines the primary structure of a protein?

Answer: Amino acid sequence. Linear order of amino acids determines all higher-level structures.

Flashcard 29: What type of interaction stabilizes tertiary protein structure?

Answer: Hydrophobic interactions, disulfide bridges. Side chain interactions create and maintain 3D protein shape.

Flashcard 30: Identify a protein involved in immune response.

Answer: Antibodies. Immunoglobulins that provide specific defense against pathogens.

Flashcard 31: What is denaturation in proteins?

Answer: Loss of structure and function. Disruption of non-covalent bonds destroys protein's native shape.

Flashcard 32: What is the function of antibodies?

Answer: Bind to antigens to neutralize them. Y-shaped proteins that recognize and bind specific foreign substances.

Flashcard 33: What is the role of elastin?

Answer: Provides elasticity to tissues. Allows tissues to stretch and return to original shape.

Flashcard 34: What is the impact of temperature on enzyme activity?

Answer: High temperature can denature enzymes. Extreme heat breaks bonds that maintain enzyme active site.

Flashcard 35: What is the role of hemoglobin?

Answer: Transport oxygen in blood. Iron-containing protein binds and carries oxygen molecules.

Flashcard 36: Identify the bond that links amino acids in proteins.

Answer: Peptide bond. Covalent bond formed by dehydration synthesis between amino acids.

Flashcard 37: Which structure is the sequence of amino acids in a polypeptide?

Answer: Primary structure. Foundation level that determines all higher structural levels.

Flashcard 38: What are enzymes?

Answer: Proteins that act as biological catalysts. Speed up biochemical reactions by lowering activation energy.

Flashcard 39: What is a protein domain?

Answer: Functional unit within a protein. Independently folded region with specific structure and function.

Flashcard 40: Which enzyme is involved in DNA replication?

Answer: DNA polymerase. Synthesizes new DNA strands during cell division.

Flashcard 41: Which amino acid initiates protein synthesis?

Answer: Methionine. Start codon AUG codes for this first amino acid.

Flashcard 42: Which amino acid has a sulfur atom in its side chain?

Answer: Cysteine. Only amino acid capable of forming disulfide bonds.

Flashcard 43: What is the role of myosin?

Answer: Motor protein involved in muscle contraction. Converts chemical energy to mechanical force for movement.

Flashcard 44: What is denaturation in proteins?

Answer: Loss of structure and function. Disruption of non-covalent bonds destroys protein's native shape.

Flashcard 45: What is the role of insulin?

Answer: Regulates blood glucose levels. Hormone that lowers blood sugar by promoting glucose uptake.

Flashcard 46: Which enzyme is involved in DNA replication?

Answer: DNA polymerase. Synthesizes new DNA strands during cell division.

Flashcard 47: Identify a method to separate proteins based on size.

Answer: Gel electrophoresis. Separates proteins by molecular weight through porous gel matrix.

Flashcard 48: What determines the primary structure of a protein?

Answer: Amino acid sequence. Linear order of amino acids determines all higher-level structures.

Flashcard 49: Identify the bond formed between cysteine residues.

Answer: Disulfide bond. Covalent sulfur-sulfur bridge stabilizes protein structure.

Flashcard 50: What is the function of antibodies?

Answer: Bind to antigens to neutralize them. Y-shaped proteins that recognize and bind specific foreign substances.

Flashcard 51: Identify one example of a fibrous protein.

Answer: Collagen. Structural protein with elongated, rope-like quaternary structure.

Flashcard 52: Identify a protein involved in cell signaling.

Answer: Receptors. Membrane proteins that detect and respond to chemical signals.

Flashcard 53: What are enzymes?

Answer: Proteins that act as biological catalysts. Speed up biochemical reactions by lowering activation energy.

Flashcard 54: Which structure level involves alpha helices and beta sheets?

Answer: Secondary structure. Formed by hydrogen bonds between backbone atoms in polypeptide.

Flashcard 55: Which amino acid is most commonly found in collagen?

Answer: Glycine. Smallest amino acid allows tight turns in collagen helix.

Flashcard 56: Which amino acid initiates protein synthesis?

Answer: Methionine. Start codon AUG codes for this first amino acid.

Flashcard 57: Identify the technique used to determine protein structure.

Answer: X-ray crystallography. Uses X-rays to reveal atomic-level protein structure details.

Flashcard 58: Identify one example of a globular protein.

Answer: Hemoglobin. Compact, spherical protein with complex tertiary structure.

Flashcard 59: Name the four levels of protein structure.

Answer: Primary, secondary, tertiary, quaternary. Hierarchical organization from amino acid sequence to complex 3D shape.

Flashcard 60: Identify one example of a fibrous protein.

Answer: Collagen. Structural protein with elongated, rope-like quaternary structure.

Flashcard 61: Which protein structure is affected by denaturation?

Answer: Secondary, tertiary, quaternary structures. Higher-order structures unfold while primary structure remains intact.

Flashcard 62: Name the four levels of protein structure.

Answer: Primary, secondary, tertiary, quaternary. Hierarchical organization from amino acid sequence to complex 3D shape.

Flashcard 63: Which amino acid has a sulfur atom in its side chain?

Answer: Cysteine. Only amino acid capable of forming disulfide bonds.

Flashcard 64: What is a protein domain?

Answer: Functional unit within a protein. Independently folded region with specific structure and function.

Flashcard 65: Identify the bond that links amino acids in proteins.

Answer: Peptide bond. Covalent bond formed by dehydration synthesis between amino acids.

Flashcard 66: What is the monomer unit of proteins?

Answer: Amino acids. Basic building blocks that link together to form protein chains.

Flashcard 67: What is the monomer unit of proteins?

Answer: Amino acids. Basic building blocks that link together to form protein chains.

Flashcard 68: Identify the protein responsible for oxygen storage in muscles.

Answer: Myoglobin. Single-chain protein that stores oxygen in muscle tissue.

Flashcard 69: Identify the protein that acts as a buffer in blood.

Answer: Albumin. Most abundant blood protein that maintains osmotic pressure.

Flashcard 70: What is the role of ferritin?

Answer: Stores iron in cells. Storage protein that safely sequesters iron for cellular use.

Flashcard 71: What is the role of catalase?

Answer: Breaks down hydrogen peroxide. Antioxidant enzyme that protects cells from oxidative damage.