What does helix mean and where does it originate from?
helix noun. A curve on the surface of a cylinder or cone such that its angle to a plane perpendicular to the axis is constant; the three-dimensional curve seen in a screw or a spiral staircase. Etymology: From helix, from (helix) "something twisted or spiral" helix noun. A small volute under the abacus of a Corinthian capital.
What is Helix in medical terms?
Medical Definition of helix 1 : the incurved rim of the external ear. 2 : a curve traced on a cylinder by the rotation of a point crossing its right sections at a constant oblique angle broadly : spiral sense 2 — see alpha-helix, double helix.
What is the formula for a helix?
x = a cos t, y = a sin t, z = b t. This is simply a circular locus in the xy-planesubjected to constant growth in the z-direction. A deeper characterization of a helix is that it isthe unique curve in 3-space for which the ratio ofcurvature to torsion is a constant, a result knownas Lancret's Theorem.
What is the scientific definition of helix?
Helix. (Science: chemistry molecular biology) a spiral structure in a macromolecule that contains a repeating pattern. A curve that lies on the surface of a cylinder or cone and cuts the element at a constant angle. A structure consisting of something wound in a continuous series of loops; a coil of rope. What is a helix simple definition?
What is a helix simple definition?
: something spiral in form: such as. : an ornamental volute. : a coil formed by winding wire around a uniform tube.
What is the meaning of helix in DNA?
Definition. 00:00. … Double helix, as related to genomics, is a term used to describe the physical structure of DNA. A DNA molecule is made up of two linked strands that wind around each other to resemble a twisted ladder in a helix-like shape.
What is the meaning of helix in physics?
A helix (/ˈhiːlɪks/) is a shape like a corkscrew or spiral staircase. It is a type of smooth space curve with tangent lines at a constant angle to a fixed axis.
What is an example of helix?
A slinky is an everyday example of a helix, as is the spiral in the body of the spiral rabbit, which can be used to visualize forces on the body, e.g. in a playground swing. A helix can be righthanded or lefthanded. The mirror image of a righthanded helix is lefthanded - and vice versa.
What makes up a helix?
The chemical backbones of the double helix are made up of sugar and phosphate molecules that are connected by chemical bonds, known as sugar-phosphate backbones. The two helical strands are connected through interactions between pairs of nucleotides, also called base pairs.
Is DNA really a helix?
DNA is a double-stranded helix, with the two strands connected by hydrogen bonds.
What is helix used for?
Helix enables health systems, public health organizations and life sciences companies to accelerate the integration of genomic data into patient care and public health decision making.
Why is helix used?
Explanation: A helix in TWT plays an important role as a delay line, slowing down the RF signals travelling at a speed of light near the same speed along the tube as the electron beam.
What causes the helix in DNA?
Its double helix consists of two spiral chains of DNA. This double helix shape is often visualized as a spiral staircase. The twisting of DNA is the result of both hydrophilic and hydrophobic interactions between the molecules that comprise DNA and water in a cell.
Where is your helix?
ear“Anatomically, the term helix describes that area of the ear.” However, there are names for different placements along that curve. A flat helix lies on the flat part of the inside of your ear, while a forward helix is on the cartilage closest to your face.
What are the types of helix?
There are three major types of helices in proteins, the alpha helix (n = 3.6), 310 helix (n = 3) and the pi helix (n = 4.4).
What is helix in magnetic field?
The velocity component perpendicular to the magnetic field creates circular motion, whereas the component of the velocity parallel to the field moves the particle along a straight line. The pitch is the horizontal distance between two consecutive circles. The resulting motion is helical.
What is difference between spiral and helix?
Post or Void? An easy way to tell the difference between the two is the presence of a central post or column. A spiral staircase will have treads winding around a central column, whereas helicals wind around a void.
Why is it called 3/10 helix?
The amino acids in a 310-helix are arranged in a right-handed helical structure. Each amino acid corresponds to a 120° turn in the helix (i.e., the helix has three residues per turn), and a translation of 2.0 Å (0.20 nm) along the helical axis, and has 10 atoms in the ring formed by making the hydrogen bond.
What are the types of helix?
There are three major types of helices in proteins, the alpha helix (n = 3.6), 310 helix (n = 3) and the pi helix (n = 4.4).
What is the right handed helix?
With the line of sight along the helix's axis, if a clockwise screwing motion moves the helix away from the observer, then it is called a right-handed helix; if towards the observer, then it is a left-handed helix. Handedness (or chirality) is a property of the helix, not of the perspective: a right-handed helix cannot be turned to look like ...
How many helices are in a double helix?
A double helix consists of two (typically congruent) helices with the same axis, differing by a translation along the axis.
Why are helices important?
Helices are important in biology, as the DNA molecule is formed as two intertwined helices, and many proteins have helical substructures, known as alpha helices. The word helix comes from the Greek word ἕλιξ, "twisted, curved". A "filled-in" helix – for example, a "spiral" (helical) ramp – is called a helicoid.
What is a helix in math?
In mathematics, a helix is a curve in 3- dimensional space. The following parametrisation in Cartesian coordinates defines a particular helix; perhaps the simplest equations for one is
What is a curve called?
A curve is called a general helix or cylindrical helix if its tangent makes a constant angle with a fixed line in space. A curve is a general helix if and only if the ratio of curvature to torsion is constant.
What is the chirality of a helix?
Handedness (or chirality) is a property of the helix, not of the perspective: a right-handed helix cannot be turned to look like a left-handed one unless it is viewed in a mirror, and vice versa. Two types of helix shown in comparison. This shows the two chiralities of helices.
What is the shape of a deoxyribonucleic acid?
For the shape of deoxyribonucleic acid, see Double helix. For other uses, see Helix (disambiguation). A helix ( / ˈhiːlɪks / ), plural helixes or helices ( / ˈhɛlɪsiːz / ), is a shape like a corkscrew or spiral staircase. It is a type of smooth space curve with tangent lines at a constant angle to a fixed axis.
What is the largest snail in the world?
The largest is Helix pomatia (figured on pp. 11 and 12), which often goes by the name of “the edible snail.”
What is a helix in math?
In mathematical terms, a helix can be described as a curve turning about an axis on the surface of a cylinder or cone while rising at a constant upward angle from a base. Something, such as a strand of DNA, having a spiral shape.
What is a helix?
helix. [ hē ′lĭks ] A three-dimensional spiral curve. In mathematical terms, a helix can be described as a curve turning about an axis on the surface of a cylinder or cone while rising at a constant upward angle from a base. Something, such as a strand of DNA, having a spiral shape.
What is the magnetic field of a helix?
If the latter is in the form of a helix its magnetic field resembles that of a straight bar magnet.
What is the shape of string?
Based on enormously complicated biophysics—much of which remains mysterious—the string folds into delicate shapes, such as sheets of twisting and turning strands, or helices that wrap around each other.
Why is the word "sinister" Latin?
The word "sinister" is Latin for "left," because left-handed people were often thought of as suspicious, evil, or demonic.
What is the process of adding methyl groups to DNA?
This process, known as epigenetics, involves the addition of small chemical tags known as methyl groups to the DNA double helix.
What is a helix in science?
A helix is a type of smooth space curve, i.e. a curve in three-dimensional space . It has the property that the tangent line at any point makes a constant angle with a fixed line called the axis. Examples of helixes are coil springs and the handrails of spiral staircases. A "filled-in" helix – for example, a spiral ramp – is called a helicoid. Helices are important in biology, as the DNA molecule is formed as two intertwined helices, and many proteins have helical substructures, known as alpha helices. The word helix comes from the Greek word ἕλιξ, "twisted, curved".
Is DNA a liquid or solid?
It’s not quite a liquid or a solid, it transitions through phases. That’s what people are seeing through these images. Being able to visualize it in an attractive way is pretty cool.
What are the bases of sugar?
Attached to each sugar is one of four bases: adenine (A), cytosine (C), guanine (G), or thymine ( T). The two strands are held together by bonds between the bases, adenine forming a base pair with thymine, and cytosine forming a base pair with guanine.
What is double helix?
Double helix is the description of the structure of a DNA molecule. A DNA molecule consists of two strands that wind around each other like a twisted ladder. Each strand has a backbone made of alternating groups of sugar (deoxyribose) and phosphate groups. Attached to each sugar is one of four bases: adenine (A), cytosine (C), guanine (G), or thymine (T). The two strands are held together by bonds between the bases, adenine forming a base pair with thymine, and cytosine forming a base pair with guanine.
Why can't you stare at a double helix?
You can't stare at the double helix for very long without having a sense of awe about the elegance of this information molecule DNA, with its double helical form basically being the way in which all living forms are connected to each other, because they all use this same structure for conveying that information.
What is the [ ] -turn-helix motif?
The ~[ ⇑] -turn-helix motif is a DNA binding motif composed of two α-helices, which make contacts with DNA and are joined by a short turn. The three-dimensional schematic representation shows the transcription factor GBX1 (purple) binding to DNA. [>>>]
Why does DNA make a copy of itself?
In replication, DNA makes a copy of itself in order to pass genetic information on to newly formed daughter cell s. In order for replication to take place, the DNA must unwind to allow cell replication machinery to copy each strand. [>>>]
What is DNA made of?
DNA is a long, double-stranded molecule twisted into a ~[ ⇑]. It is composed of a chemical code (represented by the letters A, T, G, and C) that describes how to make proteins. [>>>]
What is triple forming oligonucleotide therapy?
Triple- ~[ ⇑] -forming oligonucleotide gene therapy targets the DNA sequence of a mutated gene to prevent its transcription. This technique delivers short, single-stranded pieces of DNA, called oligonucleotides, that bind specifically in the groove between a gene's two DNA strands. [>>>]
What is the Hershey-Chase experiment?
1952 The Hershey-Chase experiment proves the genetic information of phage s (and all other organisms) to be DNA 1953 DNA structure is resolved to be a double ~[ ⇑] by James Watson and Francis Crick 1958 The Meselson-Stahl experiment demonstrates that DNA is semiconservatively replicated 1961 The genetic code is ... [>>>]
What is the Domi Nant gene?
Domi nant gene: A gene which, when present on a chromosome, passes on a certain physical character istic, thereby dominating over a recessive gene present on another chromosome. Double ~[ ⇑]: A common name for DNA; it refers to the molecule's double-strande d, spiraling structure. [>>>]
What are the two main types of secondary structures of a protein molecule?
Alpha- ~[ ⇑] and beta-sheet conformation s are the two main types of secondary structures of a protein molecule. Depending on the primary protein structure, its secondary structure can be of one type or the other. [>>>]
Overview
A helix is a shape like a corkscrew or spiral staircase. It is a type of smooth space curve with tangent lines at a constant angle to a fixed axis. Helices are important in biology, as the DNA molecule is formed as two intertwined helices, and many proteins have helical substructures, known as alpha helices. The word helix comes from the Greek word ἕλιξ, "twisted, curved". A "filled-in" helix – for examp…
Properties and types
The pitch of a helix is the height of one complete helix turn, measured parallel to the axis of the helix.
A double helix consists of two (typically congruent) helices with the same axis, differing by a translation along the axis.
A circular helix (i.e. one with constant radius) has constant band curvature and …
Mathematical description
In mathematics, a helix is a curve in 3-dimensional space. The following parametrisation in Cartesian coordinates defines a particular helix; perhaps the simplest equations for one is
As the parameter t increases, the point (x(t),y(t),z(t)) traces a right-handed helix of pitch 2π (or slope 1) and radius 1 about the z-axis, in a right-handed coordinate system.
In cylindrical coordinates (r, θ, h), the same helix is parametrised by:
Examples
An example of double helix in molecular biology is the nucleic acid double helix.
An example of conic helix is the Corkscrew roller coaster at Cedar Point amusement park.
Some curves found in nature consist of multiple helices of different handedness joined together by transitions known as tendril perversions.
See also
• Alpha helix
• Arc spring
• Boerdijk–Coxeter helix
• Circular polarization
• Collagen helix