Protein Folding, Chaperones and What Misfolding Costs · seed 1 · A4, ink-friendly. The answer key prints on its own page for grown-ups.
En anglais

How chains find their shape

Science · Biochemistry & Molecular Biology · ages 18-19
Name ______________________   Date ____________
  1. What do chaperones do?

    • Carry the folding blueprint for each new chain made
    • Block wrong contacts and shield sticky patches
    • Snap the weak bonds of the fold
  2. Where is the folding information stored?

    • The amino acid sequence itself
    • The chaperone that guards the chain
    • The aggregate clump at the end
  3. Misfolded chains clump into aggregates that poison cells. True or false?

    Circle one:   True   False

  4. What happens in denaturation?

    • The sequence is rewritten with new amino acids
    • Chaperones multiply to refold the chain
    • Heat snaps weak bonds and unravels the chain
  5. What does misfolding have to do with Alzheimer and prion illnesses?

    • Misfolded proteins are missing entirely from cells
    • Misfolded proteins stack into harmful clusters
    • Too many chaperones blocking the fold
  6. A new chain folds by following a fixed step by step recipe. True or false?

    Circle one:   True   False

  7. Chaperones are needed because the sequence carries no folding plan. True or false?

    Circle one:   True   False

  8. A boiled egg can turn runny again if it is cooled. True or false?

    Circle one:   True   False

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Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

How chains find their shape W1-mt_n9rlqjbaXK-s1

  1. Block wrong contacts and shield sticky patches · They keep chains apart while folding, adding no information.
  2. The amino acid sequence itself · The sequence holds the blueprint; guarding only raises how many reach the shape.
  3. True · Nerve cells clear the clumps badly, so they pile up and harm tissue.
  4. Heat snaps weak bonds and unravels the chain · Broken weak bonds undo the fold, and function is usually lost.
  5. Misfolded proteins stack into harmful clusters · Harmful shapes and clusters play a part alongside genetic and other risk factors.
  6. False · It tumbles down the funnel trying shapes and keeping lower energy ones.
  7. False · The sequence holds the plan; chaperones only shield sticky patches.
  8. False · Boiling tangles white proteins into a mat that cannot untangle.
Worksheet · LightMySky