2) Your hair is composed of proteins known as keratins that have an alpha helix-

Question

2) Your hair is composed of proteins known as keratins that have an alpha helix-like fibrous structure. The structure has approximately 3.6 amino acids per turn of the helix, and a linear dimension of 0.54 nm per turn of the helix. For simplicity, let's imagine that a strand of hair is composed of a single keratin molecule in this alpha helix like state. if your hair were to grow 2s mm (m1 inch) in one year, how many turns of the alpha helix must be added to the keratin molecule each minute of the year? How many amino acids must be added to the molecule each minute of the year?

Explanation / Answer

total number of turns in one year = 25mm / 0.54 nm = 46.25 * 106 turns for 1 year

1 year = 525949 mins

46.25 * 106 / 525949 = 88.024 turns in 1 minute

1 turn = 3.4 aa

so 88.024 * 3.4 = 299.28 aminoacids in 1 min

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