Tertiary Structure of Proteins

(Cooper, 1997 p. ) 

Tertiary structure is the further folding of a protein molecule where diverse parts of the molecule are held together and interact between r-groups via the following types of bonds: Tertiary folding of polypeptides determines the three-dimensional structure of the protein.

Explore the tertiary of the three dimensional structure of small protein, ribonuclease.  (Note: to view ribonuclease interactively on your Web browser, the free Chemscape Chime plug-in viewer must be installed in your browser's plug-in folder.) Be sure to select the options and view the hydrogen and disulfide bonds.  This will show how the helicies and sheets are held together in three dimensional space.

References:
Cooper, Geoffrey M. (1997) The Cell: A Molecular Approach; ASM Press, Washington, D.C. / Sinauer Associates, Inc., Sunderland, MA.