PROTEINS!~

Eh… What are they? Proteins are long chains of amino acids. They are essential to your health and carry out many functions. Proteins are the only foods that contain nitrogen, making them critically important in your diet.

Enzymes Enzymes work to speed up chemical reactions in the body. They work as biochemical catalysts in such bodily tasks as digestion, synthesis, and assimilation.

Antibodies Antibodies are Y shaped proteins used to identify and terminate bacteria and viruses in the body. Antibodies detect antigens that they are specifically attuned to, lock onto them, and terminate them.

Hormones Hormones, are used to send messages from cell to cell. They are used primarily to maintain homeostasis. Insulin is a hormone that controls the level of sugar in the blood.

Pigments Pigments control what colors of light are absorbed by a substance, thus making it appear a certain color.

Structural Parts Many tissues and parts of the body are made out of proteins, such as: Blood Skin Nerves Hair Tissue

Amino Acids Amino acids, are the building blocks of proteins. They bond together into long chains called polypeptides. There are 20 different types of amino acids.

Structure of protein The shape of a protein is determined by sequence of amino acids it is made of. The shape the protein takes, affects its function. Proteins are often composed of many amino acids, that form into long folded chains.

Peptide Bonds By removing a water molecule, the atoms are unstable and bonded together by a peptide bond. Peptide bonds are formed when two amino acids go through dehydration synthesis to form a dipeptide. These will link with more amino acids, to form polypeptides.

Protein Intake The FDA recommends 50g of protein a day for adults and children over 4, but it varies from person to person. Growing kids need more, and you need different types of protein as well.