Proteins have many functions and carry these out both inside and outside the cell. Enzymes are a type of protein and they’re used both for home and industrial purposes.

By the end of this section you should understand:

• The advantages and disadvantages of using enzymes both in the home and for industrial reasons

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Proteins

A protein molecule is a polymer and is composed of long chains of amino acids which are known as monomers.

There are only 20 different amino acids that we’re aware of but a protein can have up to thousands of these connected together in a specific sequence. This is how a protein is able to function exactly as it does.

As well as each amino acid being in a specific order in the chain, the chains are also folded into a particular shape. This means that only specific molecules can fit inside that protein.

Proteins have a number of functions:

• hormones
• antibodies
• catalysts
• structural components of tissues like muscles