From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Within a protein, a structural domain ("domain") is an element of overall structure that is self-stabilizing and often folds independently of the rest of the protein chain. Many domains are not unique to the protein products of one gene or one gene family but instead appear in a variety of proteins. Domains often are named and singled out because they figure prominantly in the biological function of the protein they belong to; for example, the "calcium-binding domain of calmodulin. Because they are self-stabilizing, domains can be "swapped" by genetic engineering between one protein and another to make chimerass. A domain may be composed of one, more than one or not any structural motifs.
See also: structural biology
