A small proteinaceous infectious particle which resists inactivation by procedures that modify nucleic acid. Most researchers think that prions are the cause of several diseases including scrapie in sheep, bovine spongiform encephalopathy in cattle and kuru and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans. A large molecule composed of a linear sequence of amino acids. This linear sequence is a protein's primary structure. Further folding from interaction between sites in the secondary structure forms the tertiary structure of the protein.
Proteins are essential to the structure and function of cells.
A small sac surrounded by a membrane within the protoplasm of a cell. External sites are not endorsed by the Australian Academy of Science. The Australian Foundation for Science and the Science and Technology Awareness Program of the Commonwealth Department of Industry, Science and Resources are also supporters of Nova . This topic is sponsored by the Commonwealth Department of Industry, Science and Resources .