How Do Proteins Work as the Building Blocks of Life?

Proteins are really important for all living things. They help with many different jobs in our bodies.

Proteins are made up of smaller parts called amino acids. You can think of amino acids like building blocks. These building blocks contain carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and sometimes sulfur. Our bodies need 20 different amino acids to stay healthy. Out of these, 9 are essential, which means we have to get them from the food we eat.

What Do Proteins Do?

1. Support and Structure:

   • Proteins like collagen help give strength and support to our bodies. Collagen is found in our skin, bones, and tissues. It makes up about 30% of the total protein in our bodies!

2. Speeding Up Reactions:

   • Some proteins called enzymes are like little helpers that make things happen faster in our bodies. For example, amylase is an enzyme that helps turn starches into sugars. This shows how important proteins are for our body’s functions.

3. Transporting Stuff:

   • Hemoglobin is a protein found in red blood cells. Its job is to carry oxygen all over our bodies. It can hold about 1.34 mL of oxygen for every gram, which helps our bodies get the oxygen they need.

4. Communication Between Cells:

   • Proteins also help cells talk to each other. For example, insulin is a hormone that helps control the sugar levels in our blood and plays a role in how our body uses energy.

5. Fighting Off Illness:

   • Antibodies are special proteins that help our immune system. They recognize and fight off germs. Our bodies can make millions of different antibodies, which helps protect us from a wide range of illnesses.

How Are Proteins Made?

• Making proteins happens in two main steps: transcribing and translating. In the first step, called transcription, information from DNA is copied to a molecule called mRNA. In the second step, called translation, tiny machines called ribosomes read the mRNA and build proteins. Each protein has a unique order of amino acids that determines what it can do.

In summary, proteins play many important roles in our bodies. They are essential for keeping our cells healthy and helping the entire organism function well. Their different shapes and jobs are key to life itself!