Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

Proteins have several functions. Some of them are structural components (e.g. keratin in hair, actin, and myosin in muscle, etc.). Many proteins are enzymes. They catalyze various biochemical reactions and therefore are essential to metabolism. Other vital roles of proteins in biological systems are as follows: as transporters (e.g. hemoglobin), as antibodies, and as regulators of gene expression. Not all proteins are…

The lifespan of proteins varies depending on their kind. Some proteins are degraded after a few minutes of production; others remain for years. Misfolded proteins are degraded at once to prevent them from causing damage due to their instability and dysfunctional nature. The cell may degrade or recycle them through protein turnover. Proteins may be degraded…

Protein synthesis is the creation of proteins. In biological systems, it is carried out inside the cell. In prokaryotes, it occurs in the cytoplasm. In eukaryotes, it initially occurs in the nucleus to create a transcript (mRNA) of the coding region of the DNA. The transcript leaves the nucleus and reaches the ribosomes for translation into a protein molecule with a specific sequence…

Proteins are composed of polymers of amino acid residues. The amino acids are joined together by peptide bonds. Each protein is a linear polymer built from different amino acids. The type and the sequence of amino acids in a protein are specified by the DNA in the cell that produces them. The genetic code typically specifies 20 standard amino acids. However, some organisms, such as archaea, have…

The word protein is derived from the Greek proteios, meaning “of the first rank”. The term was coined in 1838 by the Swedish scientist Jöns Berzelius, to reflect the importance of this group of molecules. A stretch of DNA called a gene carries the information required to build a protein.

Proteins are biopolymeric structures composed of amino acids, of which there are 20 common ones found in biological chemistry, participating in nearly all cellular activities. Proteins are synthesised in the cytoplasm in a process termed translation. The typical protein is constructed from a single set of amino acids.

A molecule made up of amino acids. Proteins are needed for the body to function properly. They are the basis of body structures, such as skin and hair, and of other substances such as enzymes, cytokines, and antibodies.

Proteins are large, complex molecules that play many critical roles in the body. They do most of the work in cells and are required for the structure, function, and regulation of the body’s tissues and organs.