You have identified a novel protein that associates with the plasma membrane. you do not know whether this protein is a peripheral or a transmembrane protein. you therefore analyze the primary amino acid sequence (listed in the three letter code) for the presence of a transmembrane domain.

met - asp - leu - lys - ile - pro - gly - val - glu - arg - met - phe - leu - ile - ser - lys - gly - thr - asp - tyr - his - asn - gln - val - met - val - gly - pro - asp - glu - ala - ala - ala - val - met - arg - trp - cys - met - phe - ile - val - val - val - thr - val - glu - glu - gly - asp - met - val - ala - ile - ile - val - leu - pro - lys - arg - trp - tyr - phe - ala - gln - tyr - ala - val - leu - ile - leu - met - ala - trp - leu - val - phe - val - ile - leu - ala - arg - lys - his - ala - val - ile - leu - trp - tyr - ala - gly - gln - gly - asn - arg - his - cys - lys - met

how many potential transmembrane domains can you identify in this protein?

a) 0
b) 1
c) 2
d) 3
e) 4

(e)

Explanation:

Transmembrane protein are proteins that are firmly associated with membranes because it is integrated along the length of bilayer lipid membrane. This kind of protein is made up of two kinds of amino acid, hydrophilic or polar amino acid and hydrophobic or non polar amino acid. while peripheral protein loosely associated with membrane, they are present on the surface which means they are not integrated in to the cell membrane and facing intercellular fluid. this is why it contains only hydrophilic amino acid.

The primary amino acid sequence contains hydrophobic amino acid which identifies the protein as transmembrane protein. These amino acid are methionine (Met), leucine(Leu), valine(Val), glycine(Gly), tryptophan(Trp), isoleucine(Ile), phenylalanine(Phe), proline(Pro) and alanine(Ala)

from almost the creation of the first true maps of the earth, people started seeing how continents would be able to fit together.   in particular, people noticed that south america fits almost exactly into africa.

you should be aware that while world maps were around early in the 1600’s and better defined by the end of the 1700’s, those maps were not ‘public’ but were treated as state secrets.   and so it was not till much later that the broader ‘science’ community had access to good quality and accurate world maps.

get the whole story here…

it is now known that most of the major continental masses can be fit together in a jigsaw process.   in fact we now know that the continents were indeed once all joined together as one land mass – the supercontinent of pangaea.

if you look at most world maps you will ponder how this is evidence, as the continents really don’t appear to ‘fit’ together very well.   what you need to understand is that the vast majority of maps are drawn using a map projection that has the north and south poles (which are points) are a line the width of the map at the top and bottom.   this means that the map distorts the true shape of the earth’s land and oceans as you love closer to the poles.     some other map projections distort less, but have the map shape looking like segments of an orange.   see here for a range of map projections.   check out the way greenland changes size in each!

what is more remarkable, is the next piece of evidence when added to the shape of continents.

location of mountains and fossils

what is remarkable, when you reassemble all the continents together, the ancient mountain ranges (many now eroded to their cores) and the location of rock types and fossils all match up.

the answer would be..

b. sucking