alpha helix
the rodlike spatial configuration of many protein molecules in which the polypeptide backbone is stabilized by hydrogen bonds between amino acids in successive helical turns.
Origin of alpha helix
1Words Nearby alpha helix
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British Dictionary definitions for alpha helix
biochem a helical conformation of a polypeptide chain, found abundantly in the structure of proteins
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for alpha helix
A common structure of proteins, characterized by a single, spiral chain of amino acids stabilized by hydrogen bonds. Compare beta sheet random coil.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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