Proteins

The word Protein is derived from greek word proteus, which means to come first. They are the most abundant biological macromolecules / substances present in all types of cells constituting the major components of our muscle mass. Nearly half of the dry weight of a typical animal cell is protein. All proteins contain carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen. It also contain sulphur with occasional occurrence of phosphorus. Average composition of protein shows 50% of carbon, 7% of Hydrogen, 23% of Oxygen, 16% of Nitrogen, 0-3% of Sulpher and 0-3% of Phosphorus. Proteins are made up of small building blocks called amino acids. the amino acids chemical compounds that contain both an acidic carboxyl (-COOH) and a basic Amino (-NH2) group.

General structure of an amino acid

Different proteins have different sizes depending on the number of amino acids they contain. They represent molecules through which genetic information is expressed. 'Proteins perform diverse functions and are therefore important part of our diet. Some foods are rich in protein whereas some have low protein content.

Low protein diet results in many disorders that may impair our abilities to perform well. Some specialized proteins called enzymes perform chemical reactions in the body. Enzymes referred as bio catalyst also have industrial applications.