Glossary 1.4


The glossary provides definitions and explanations of key terms and concepts essential to understand the topic in the lesson. Be sure to familiarize yourself with each term before attempting the lesson glossary quiz.

Browse the glossary using this index

Special | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | ALL

A

Amino acid

a molecule that contains a carboxyl group and an amino group; serves as the monomer subunit of proteins


Antiparallel

oriented in opposite directions


D

Denaturation

the loss of both the structure and function of a protein


N

Nucleic acid

a blueprint for proteins that are synthesized in cells; stores hereditary information


Nucleotide

the building block of nucleic acids; consists of a 5-carbon sugar, a nitrogenous base, and one to three phosphate groups


P

Peptide

a chain of amino acid subunits that are connected by peptide bonds


Peptide bond

a covalent bond that links amino acids


Phosphodiester bond

a link that is formed between nucleotides by a phosphate bridge


Polypeptide

a peptide with more than 50 amino acids


Protein

a large molecule tha consists of many amino acid subunits that are joined together by peptide bonds folded into a specific three-dimensional shape