PROTEINS

What is protein?
■ Proteins are made up of hundreds or thousands
of smaller units called amino acids, which are
attached to one another in long chains.
■ Proteins are large molecules that our cells
need to function properly. They consist of
amino acids. The structure and function of our
bodies depend on proteins. The regulation of
the body's cells, tissues, and organs cannot
 What is protein?
■ A protein molecule is very large compared with
molecules of sugar or salt and consists of many
amino acids joined together to form long chains,
much as beads are arranged on a string.
■ Muscles, skin, bones, and other parts of the
human body contain significant amounts of
protein, including enzymes, hormones, and
antibodies
 What is a Protein?
■ Proteins also work as neurotransmitters.
Hemoglobin, a carrier of oxygen in the
blood, is a protein.
■ Proteins are long chains of amino acids that
form the basis of all life. They are like
machines that make all living things,
whether viruses, bacteria, butterflies,
jellyfish, plants, or human function.
What is a Protein?

■ The human body consists of around 100

trillion cells. Each cell has thousands of
different proteins. Together, these cause
each cell to do its job. The proteins are
like tiny machines inside the cell.
■ All enzymes are proteins.
■ Some proteins are: milk, meat, wheat
and eggs
 Amino Acids and Proteins
■ Protein consists of amino acids, and amino
acids are the building blocks of protein. There
are around 20 amino acids.
■ These 20 amino acids can be arranged in
millions of different ways to create millions of
different proteins, each with a specific
function in the body. The structures differ
according to the sequence in which the
Amino Acids and Proteins
■ Amino acids are organic molecules that
consist of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen,
nitrogen, and sometimes sulfur.
■ It is the amino acids that synthesize
proteins and other important compounds
in the human body, such as creatine,
peptide hormones, and some
neurotransmitters.
Amino Acids
■ Every amino acid contains a CENTRAL CARB
ON ATOM to which aCABOXYL GROUP (COO
H) is attached , an AMINO GROUP (NH2) , aH
YDROGEN ATOM and another group or side ch
ain specific to theparticular amino acid (R)
■ FORMULA OF AMINO ACID IS :
 Categories of Amino Acids
1st category
■ all the amino acids with hydrophobic or non polar side
chain
■ Hydrophobic (water hating) amino acids contain a hydr
ocarbon sidechain
■ Alanine is the simplest one , having a methyl group CH
3 as its sidechain
■ Valineand leucinecontain longer, branched, hydrocarbo
n chain.
2nd Category
■ Polar uncharged side chain
■ This group is hydrophili
■ For example, serine , glutamine , cysteine
■ They either contain a hydroxyl group (OH), an amide group (C
ONH2)or a thiolgroup (SH)
■ All polar amino acids can form hydrogen bonds in proteins
■ Cysteine is unique as it can form DISULPHIDE BONDS (-S-S)
■ It has an effect on the protein structure and are relatively he
at stableand more resistant to unfolding
3rd and 4th Category
■ Include the charged amino acid
■ The positively charged (basic) amino acids include ly
sine, arginine,and histidine
■ These are positively charged at pH 7 because they c
ontain an extraamino group
■ When a basic amino acid is part of a protein, this extr
a amino group isfree
■ The negatively charged amino acids (acidic) include
aspartic acid andglutamic acid
■ Both are negatively charged at pH 7