What are the building blocks of proteins?

Proteins are essential macromolecules in living organisms, and their primary building blocks are amino acids. There are 20 different amino acids that can combine in various sequences to form proteins. The unique arrangement and combination of these amino acids determine the specific structure and function of each protein.

Amino acids link together through peptide bonds to form long chains, which then fold into specific shapes that enable them to perform their biological functions, such as enzymes, antibodies, and structural components in cells. This versatility is crucial for the diverse roles that proteins play in various biological processes.

Understanding that amino acids are the fundamental units that make up proteins is key in biology, as this knowledge forms the foundation for studying protein synthesis, enzyme function, and genetic coding, among other topics.