Alpha Helix & Beta Sheet Structure Sets©

With our Alpha Helix – Beta Sheet Models, your students will explore how the repeating N-C-C pattern can result in two very different secondary structures! They’ll further discover how the two backbone structures provide a stable scaffold upon which tertiary structure forms with side chains.  The Secondary Structure Set is a plastic two-model set with CPK colored backbone atoms. The accompanying slide deck allows you to guide a whole-class activity or provide a differentiated opportunity for students who want more.   Your students will:  Compare and contrast four different protein structures – beta globin, green fluorescent, insulin, and zinc finger  Review four levels of protein structure  Examine the models, and record their observations and questions  Find and count the backbone of each amino acid  Trace the structures from their N-terminus to C-terminus and discover the parallel and antiparallel strands  Learn the stabilizing importance of h