Proteins

Multipurpose molecules Proteins: Multipurpose molecules 2006-2007

Proteins Examples muscle skin, hair, fingernails, claws pepsin insulin collagen, keratin pepsin digestive enzyme in stomach insulin hormone that controls blood sugar levels pepsin collagen (skin)

Proteins Function: many, many functions hormones movement signals from one body system to another insulin movement muscle immune system protect against germs enzymes help chemical reactions

For proteins: SHAPE matters! Proteins fold & twist into 3-D shape that’s what happens in the cell! Different shapes = different jobs growth hormone hemoglobin pepsin collagen

It’s SHAPE that matters! Proteins do their jobs, because of their shape Unfolding a protein destroys its shape wrong shape = can’t do its job unfolding proteins = “denature” temperature pH (acidity) unfolded “denatured” In Biology, it’s not the size, it’s the SHAPE that matters! folded