protein
Sign in to savethumb|A representation of the 3D structure of the protein myoglobin showing turquoise α-helices. This protein was the first to have its structure solved by [[X-ray crystallography. Toward the right-center among the coils, a prosthetic group called a heme group (shown in gray) with a bound oxygen molecule (red).]]
AI overview
Proteins are complex molecules made up of chains of smaller building blocks that fold into specific three-dimensional shapes, which determine what they do in living things. They are essential to life because their shapes allow them to perform critical functions, such as carrying oxygen in the blood, as shown by the myoglobin protein in the image.
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Article
34 sectionsContents
- History and etymology
- Discovery and early studies
- Polypeptides
- Structure
- Classification
- Biochemistry
- Abundance in cells
- Synthesis
- Biosynthesis
- Chemical synthesis
- Structure
- Protein domains
- Sequence motif
- Cellular functions
- Enzymes
- Cell signaling and ligand binding
- Structural proteins
- Methods of study
- Protein purification
- Cellular localization
- Proteomics
- Structure determination
- Structure prediction
- In silico simulation of dynamical processes
- Chemical analysis
- Digestion
- Mechanical properties
- Viscosity
- See also
- References
- Further reading
- External links
- Databases and projects
- Tutorials and educational websites
thumb|A representation of the 3D structure of the protein myoglobin showing turquoise α-helices. This protein was the first to have its structure solved by [[X-ray crystallography. Toward the right-center among the coils, a prosthetic group called a heme group (shown in gray) with a bound oxygen molecule (red).]]
Proteins are large biomolecules and macromolecules that comprise one or more long chains of amino acid residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms, including catalysing metabolic reactions, DNA replication, responding to stimuli, providing structure to cells and organisms, and transporting molecules from one location to another. Proteins differ from one another primarily in their sequence of amino acids, which is dictated by the nucleotide sequence of their genes, and which usually results in protein folding into a specific 3D structure that determines its activity.