alpha helix: Meaning and Definition of

al'pha he'lix

Pronunciation: [key]
— Biochem. Biochem.
  1. the rodlike spatial configuration of many protein molecules in which the polypeptide backbone is stabilized by hydrogen bonds between amino acids in successive helical turns.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.