EDUCATION
Kaplan MCAT PRACTICE PROBLEM QUESTION An alpha helix is most likely to be held together by:
A. disulfide bonds. B. hydrophobic effects. C. hydrogen bonds. D. ion attractions between side chains.
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C. The alpha helix is held together primarily by hydrogen bonds between the carboxyl groups and amino groups of amino acids. Disulfide bridges, choice (A), and hydrophobic effects, choice (B), are primarily involved in tertiary structures, not secondary. Even if they were charged, the side chains of amino acids are too far apart to participate in strong interactions in secondary structure.
ANSWER spring 2020 || 5
