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The primary structure of a protein is the Amino acid sequence. The secondary structure refers to what happens to that poly peptide chain There are two main types of secondary structures. The alpha helix, and the beta pleated sheet, both of which are structural components of the cell.
The alpha helix is formed when the polypeptide chains twist into a spiral. This allows all amino acids in the chain to form hydrogen bonds with each other. The hydrogen bond attaches a oxygen molecule to a hydrogen molecule, which allows the helix to hold the spiral shape, and tightly coiled. The spiraling shape makes the alpha helix very strong. An example of an alpha helix structure is fingernails or toenails.
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