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