What is a protein? A protein is an organic, large molecule that is formed by a chain of amino acids. The usual amount of amino acids to make a protein is twenty and can be found anywhere from foods to your body. However, there can be more than twenty different amino acid units. Proteins do not serve one purpose in this world, if anything, proteins are just as busy as nerves of the nervous system. They are a major component in cells, beneficial as well which will be explained later. Without proteins, our bodies would not be able to perform the same actions we are able to perform today.
Before explaining proteins’ functions, there is structure to a protein. The primary protein structure is a specific sequence of amino acids which consist of peptides (compound amino acids linked in a chain) and the amino acids. Did you ever wonder how proteins are made? In cells, instructions on making a protein are transferred to an RNA molecule, a process also known as transcription. Cells use the two different types of RNA (mRNA and tRNA) to read the instructions and put together the amino acids of the protein also known as the process of translation. Finally, proteins are made.
Like stated earlier, proteins play extensive and important roles of life, in general. Proteins are needed for structure, function, and regulation of our body’s tissues and organs. For example, collagen, is a type of protein which is found in the skin, ligaments, bones, and tendons. This is how our bodies move. When your body is infected in any way, the proteins work as an antibody to fight and ward off foreign material, viruses, and bacteria. Proteins are also known for their purpose of transportation. The hemoglobin protein in your blood carries oxygen from your lungs to body tissues. As a messenger, proteins can transmit signals to carry out the biological process between cells, tissues, and organs.
A role of protein is enzymes which are responsible for the chemical reactions in your cells. Enzymes carry out reactions mostly involved with metabolism. You can find protein in many foods such as nuts, beans, fish, and beef. Body parts like your organs, muscles and immune system is mostly made up of protein. Eating protein filled foods help produce more amino acids which can be reused to make more proteins for a specific task. They can also read DNA’s genetic information, help with DNA replication, DNA repair, and transcription. These protein enzymes may be converted to sugar for fuel.
As you can tell, proteins in cells are an essential factor in biology. There are possibly many other jobs that proteins are made to complete, but are not said here. In my experiment about proteins, I will apply my knowledge about the relationship between proteins, cells, DNA and RNA by using pineapples and Jell-O.