coiled-coil
Intertwined alpha helices
A coiled-coil is a protein structural motif in which two or more alpha helices wind around each other like strands of rope.
This arrangement creates exceptional stability and appears throughout biology—in muscle fibers, hair keratin, and the stalks of molecular motors.
The term functions as both noun and adjective: coiled-coil domains, a coiled-coil structure.
Structural hair protein
- myosinMotor protein enabling contraction
- fibrinogenPlasma protein for coagulation
- fibrousMade of threads
- muscleContractile body tissue
hair · wool · silk · elasticity
Study of atomic lattices
- mutagenesisInducing stable genetic changes
- self-assemblySpontaneous structural organization
- bioinformaticsComputational analysis of genetic data
- domainArea of control
Frequency of sound
- handednessPreferred limb dominance
- left-handedDominant on sinister side
- right-handedFavoring one's stronger side
- parallelEquidistant at all points
antiparallel · bundling · register · stability · periodicity
Biological chemical detection device
- nanomaterialMatter at billionth-meter scale
- hydrogelWater-swollen polymer structure
- drug-deliveryAdministering medicine to body
- biomaterialSubstance for biological integration
nanofiber · self-assembling · therapeutic · purification · nanotube
keratin
Structural hair protein
- myosinMotor protein enabling contraction
- fibrinogenPlasma protein for coagulation
- fibrousMade of threads
muscle · hair · wool · silk · elasticity
crystallography
Study of atomic lattices
- mutagenesisInducing stable genetic changes
- self-assemblySpontaneous structural organization
- bioinformaticsComputational analysis of genetic data
pitch
Frequency of sound
- handednessPreferred limb dominance
- left-handedDominant on sinister side
- right-handedFavoring one's stronger side
parallel · antiparallel · bundling · register · stability · periodicity
biosensor
Biological chemical detection device
- nanomaterialMatter at billionth-meter scale
- hydrogelWater-swollen polymer structure
- drug-deliveryAdministering medicine to body
biomaterial · nanofiber · self-assembling · therapeutic · purification · nanotube
- dimers