Biochem Chapter 5

Front 1

sarcomere

Back 1

a functional and structural unit of the muscle contractile system

Front 2

actin

Back 2

a protein making up the thin filaments of muscle; also an important component of the cytoskeleton of many eukaryotic cells

Front 3

myosin

Back 3

a contractile protein; the major component of the thick filaments of muscle and other actin-myosin systems

Front 4

monoclonal antibodies

Back 4

antibodies produced by a cloned hybridoma cell, which therefore are identical and directed against the same epitope of the antigen

Front 5

polyclonal antibodies

Back 5

a heterogeneous pool of antibodies produced in an animal by a number of different B lymphocytes in response to an antigen. Different antibodies in the pool recognize different parts of the antigen

Front 6

hapten

Back 6

a small molecule which, when linked to a larger molecule, elicits an immune response

Front 7

epitope

Back 7

an antigenic determinant; the particular chemical group or groups within a macromolecule (antigen) to which a given antibody binds

Front 8

antigen

Back 8

a molecule capable of eliciting the synthesis of a specific antibody in vertebrates

Front 9

T lymphocyte (T cell)

Back 9

one of a class of blood cells (lymphocytes) of thymic origin, involved in cell-mediated immune reactions

Front 10

B lymphocyte (B cell)

Back 10

one of a class of blood cells (lymphocytes), responsible for the production of circulating antibodies

Front 11

immunoglobulin

Back 11

an antibody protein generated against, and capable of binding specifically to an antigen

Front 12

antibody

Back 12

a defense protein synthesized by the immune system of vertebrates

Front 13

lymphocytes

Back 13

a subclass of leukocytes involved in the immune response. B lymphocytes synthesize and secrete antibodies; T lymphocyts either play a regulatory role in immunity or kill foreign and virus infected cells

Front 14

allosteric protein

Back 14

a protein (generally with multiple subunits) with multiple ligand binding sites, such that ligand binding at one site affects ligand binding at another

Front 15

dissociation constant (K{d})

Back 15

1) an equilibrium constant for the dissociation of a complex of two or more biomolecules into its components; i.e. dissociation of a substrate for an enzyme.
2) The dissociation constant (K{a}) of an acid, describing the dissociation into its conjugate base and a proton

Front 16

porphyrin

Back 16

complex nitrogenous compound containing four substituted pyrroles covalently joined into a ring; often complexed with a central metal atom

Front 17

heme

Back 17

the iron-porphyrin prosthetic group of heme proteins

Front 18

induced fit

Back 18

a change in the conformation of an enzyme in response to substrate binding that renders the enzyme catalytically active; also used to denote changes in the conformation of any macromolecule in response to ligand binding such that the binding site of the macormolecule better conforms to the shape of the ligand

Front 19

binding site

Back 19

the crevice or pocket on a protein in which a ligand binds

Front 20

ligand

Back 20

a small molecule that binds specifically to a larger one; for example, a hormone is the ligand for its specific protein receptor