Protein

from greek: proteion - at the first place
German: Protein, Eiweiß

1 Definition

Proteins are macromolecules that essentially consist of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and sulphur. They are configured from amino acids that are connected via peptide bindings. Genes in the DNA of the cell nucleus code the sequence of each protein.

2 Classification

Different classification methods distinguish proteins according to the existence of prosthetic groups (e. g. hemin proteins), molecular modifications (e. g. glykoproteins), their distribution in certain compartments (e. g. plasma proteins), or their function (e. g. enzymes or structure proteins).

The daily protein requirement of adults amounts 1 g per kg of body mass.

3 Web links

http://www.rcsb.org/pdb/