Essential Understandings about Proteins:

• Proteins are molecules that perform most of the work of cells.  The work of proteins include, but is not limited to: 1) acting as catalysts to speed up, or make possible chemical reactions as enzymes, 2) defending the cell as antibodies, 3) transporting molecules, 4) regulating molecules, 5) structural molecules, 6) movement,  7) signaling, 8) sensing, and 9) storage.

• The different type of proteins are made continuously by cells. The process of making proteins is called protein synthesis. The word synthesis means to produce or make.

• Proteins are made when the building blocks of proteins, molecules called amino acids, are put together in a specific order and then folded in a specific way to make the finished protein. The shape of a protein is key to how it works. Some protein shapes are pictured above. There are about 22 amino acids which make up all of our proteins.

• The information on how to put any protein together comes from the DNA. An in-between molecule called messenger RNA (mRNA) takes the information from the DNA molecule and brings it to a ribosome (an organelle) where the protein is put together. Biologists call this process transcription. (#1)

• Another molecule called transfer RNA carries one specific amino to add to the growing chain of the emerging protein. Biologists call this process translation and occurs on a ribosome. (#1)