Monday, February 8, 2010

What is HELIX ?

A helix is a form that consists of smooth curves. To see the propeller to imagine a ribbon wrapped around a stick or coil of wire between the handset and the base.A ladder is a practical example of the propeller.

In biology, if they make large molecules not only as a long, straight chain, contrast, winding and sometimes very complex. Has the form of a molecule plays an important role in determining the nature and function of the molecule. The Helix is one of the three-dimensional shape of large molecules, and this model has an important role in biology.
Helices can be right or left handed depending on the order of the curve around the central axis. Rotor orientation can be determined by this study for so long. If you are moving away from the viewer and then left-handed helix. If the movement in the right direction, then the observed left-handed helix. Same treatment, or chirality, can not be changed for this assessment from a different perspective, but it is a property of helices.

In 1951, Linus Pauling and Robert B. Corey of the California Institute of Technology shows that the correct classification of keratin protein hydrogen bonds are allowed to form and stabilize the structure. What they found was alpha-helix, which is an example of left-handed helix. We have found that the spiral structure helps, but the form of the molecule and a more stable structure removed when.

Proteins are chains of amino acids as polypeptides. Proteins in each turn of the alpha-helix is approximately 3.6 amino acid polypeptide chain has. The shape is maintained by the helix hydrogen bonds between the amino group of an amino acid and oxygen in the third amino acid on the chain.

Fibrous proteins, including keratin, the helices of the basic motifs. There is also a protein complex has a helical arrangement, including collagen, which is a triple helix. Collagen consists of three polypeptide chains, each of which alpha-helix, all wound around each other.
Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA) are two examples of molecules that have an alpha-helix structure. RNA is usually single-stranded nucleotides in alpha-helices wound, while the DNA consists of two parts, or alpha-helix. This is very rare in a single DNA chain, not two identical chains in opposite directions, which are placed side by side orientation. Nitrogenous bases between the two chains link together by hydrogen bonds form a bridge, as steps on the stairs. This makes the DNA less stable, which is very important to protect the genetic material stored in a molecule.

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