Proteins are large biomolecules, or macromolecules, consisting of one or more long chains of amino acid residues. They perform a wide variety of functions within organisms, including catalyzing metabolic reactions, replicating DNA, responding to stimuli, and transporting molecules from one location to another.
Structure of Proteins
Proteins are made up of long chains of amino acids. There are 20 different types of amino acids that can be combined to make a protein. These amino acids are joined together by peptide bonds, forming a polypeptide chain. The sequence of amino acids in a protein determines its structure and function.
Functions of Proteins
Proteins have a wide range of functions in the body. Some of the important functions of proteins include:
Explore objects that can be manipulated in order to determine cause-and-effect relationships (e.g., distance between objects affecting strength of a force, orientation of magnets affecting direction of a magnetic force) of electric interactions between two objects not in contact with one another (e.g., force on hair from an electrically charged balloon, electrical forces between a charged rod and pieces of paper) or magnetic interactions between two objects not in contact with one another (e.g., force between two permanent magnets or between an electromagnet and steel paperclips, force exerted by one magnet versus the force exerted by two magnets).
Apply scientific ideas about magnets to solve a problem through an engineering design project (e.g., constructing a latch to keep a door shut, creating a device to keep two moving objects from touching each other such as a maglev system).