The α-helix is a common element of protein secondary structure, formed when amino acids “wind up” to form a right-handed helix where the side-chains point out from the central coil (Fig.

What causes alpha helices?

An alpha helix is a common shape that amino acid chains will form. ... Hydrogen bonds between the hydrogen in an amino group and the oxygen in a carboxyl group on the amino acid cause this structure.

Why do alpha helices and beta sheets form?

Hydrogen bonding is responsible for the formation of alpha-helix and beta-sheet structures in proteins. O group of one amino acid to the NH group of the fourth amino acid residue along the polypeptide chain.