Question

Why x-ray crystallography for protein structure determination?

Answer 1

crystal (X ray)( X rays are scattered by electrons in the crystal)

--> diffraction pattern (phases) (phase angle is required for each unique reflection)

--> electron density map (fitting) from then intensity of the reflections and their phase angles we can calculate where all the electrons are in molecule)

--> atomic model

Answer 2

Answer:

X-ray crystallography can reveal the precise three-dimensional positions of most atoms in a protein molecule because x-rays and covalent bonds have similar wavelength, and therefore currently provides the best visualization of protein structure