What is an alpha helix?

Answer 1

Hi, The DNA Helix is simply another name for DNA, and such name is used because DNA is in a double helix shape. The DNA is what determines who you are and therefore is found in every cell in our body. It is the genetic information of a human being and it contains genes, which are what determines our traits. For example, there are genes that control eye color, hair color, size of body...etc.

Answer 2

The DNA helix is formed by the hydrogen bonding of the oxygen in the carboxyl group on one amino acid and the hydrogen in the amino group of the second amino acid.

William Astbury dicovered two different protein structures called alpha form and beta form. The alpha form was a coiled protein that was not stretched out and the beta form was produced when the coil was stretched.

Even though his ideas were not correct naming system of the alpha and beta were kept as the names of the two most common secondary structures for proteins as the alpha helix and the beta pleated sheet.

Answer 3

An alpha helix is a secondary structure found in proteins, in which the amino acids are arranged in a coil, or helix, with almost no free space on the inside, and all side chains pointed towards the outside.

Answer 4

The alpha helix is the classic element of protein structure. First described by Linus Pauling in 1951 at CalTech, alpha helices in proteins are found when a stretch of consecutive amino acid residues all have the phi, psi angle pair (that is formed by the rotation of the planar peptide bond) approximately -60o and -50o (specifically, corresponding to the allowed region of the bottom left quadrant of the Ramachandran plot).

The alpha helix has 3.6 amino acid residues per turn with hydrogen bonds between C'=O of residue n and NH of residue n+4, thus, all NH and C'O groups are joined with hydrogen bonds except the first NH groups and the last C'O groups at the ends of the alpha helix. Alpha helices vary considerably in lenght in globular proteins ranging from four to five amino acid residues to over 40. The average lenght is around 10 amino acid residues, corresponding to three turns

Answer 5

An alpha helix is a common secondary structure in proteins where a polypeptide chain is coiled in a helical shape. This structure is stabilized by hydrogen bonding between amino acids along the chain, forming a rigid and stable structure that contributes to the overall protein's function.

Answer 6

An alpha helix is a type of secondary structure in proteins. The other type is the beta pleated sheet.

Answer 7

An alpha helix is referred to as being the secondary structure of a protein.

The beta pleated sheet is also a secondary protein structure.