Meaning & use
tertiary structure
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable or uncountabletechnicalbiologychemistry
The complete three-dimensional shape of a single protein or nucleic acid chain, formed when the folded chain bends back on itself.
Grammar: Usually used with 'the' or 'a' when talking about one molecule: 'the tertiary structure of lysozyme'. Can be uncountable when discussing the concept in general: 'Tertiary structure depends on interactions between distant parts of the chain.'
Patterns
- the tertiary structure of something
- determine the tertiary structure
- tertiary structure formation
Scientists used X-ray crystallography to work out the tertiary structure of the enzyme.
A change in just one amino acid can alter the tertiary structure and stop the protein from working.
The tertiary structure is stabilized by bonds between parts of the chain that are far apart in the sequence.
noununcountabletechnicalbiologychemistry
The overall folded shape of a large biological molecule, especially when described as a level of organization above the sequence and local coils.
Grammar: Used without 'a' or 'the' when referring to the general level or concept: 'Tertiary structure is the next level after secondary structure.'
Patterns
- tertiary structure is ...
- the level of tertiary structure
- compare secondary and tertiary structure
In biochemistry courses, students learn that tertiary structure follows secondary structure in the folding process.
The paper explains how tertiary structure differs from the simple repeating patterns of secondary structure.
Word forms
| plural | tertiary structures |
|---|
Common combinations
- protein tertiary structure
- The database stores protein tertiary structures from many species.
- determine the tertiary structure
- They used NMR to determine the tertiary structure of the small protein.
- tertiary structure prediction
- Tertiary structure prediction is still a hard problem in computational biology.
- disrupt the tertiary structure
- Heat can disrupt the tertiary structure, causing the protein to lose its function.
- the tertiary structure of a protein
- The tertiary structure of a protein often includes pockets where small molecules can bind.
Synonyms and how they differ
- three-dimensional fold
- A more everyday way to say it; use it when writing for non-specialists, but 'tertiary structure' is the standard technical term.
- conformation
- Refers to the shape at a given moment; 'tertiary structure' often means the stable, functional shape, while conformation can change.
Word family
- primary structure noun
- The order of amino acids or nucleotides in the chain.
- secondary structure noun
- Local coiled or sheet-like patterns such as alpha helices and beta sheets.
- quaternary structure noun
- How several folded chains come together to form a larger complex.
Commonly confused: tertiary structure or quaternary structure? tertiary structure or secondary structure?
tertiary structure vs quaternary structure
Quaternary structure is about how multiple protein chains assemble, while tertiary structure is the shape of just one chain.
tertiary structure vs secondary structure
Secondary structure refers to local patterns like helices; tertiary structure is the overall 3D shape of the whole chain.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'tertiary structure' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Tertiary structure is the overall three-dimensional shape of a single folded chain. Option 0 describes primary structure, option 2 describes quaternary structure, and option 3 describes secondary structure.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “tertiary structure”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.