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Protein ConnectionImportance of ProteinsIn the previous lesson, we studied the importance of proteins. Proteins serve quite a number of very important functions. All enzymes are proteins. Enzymes control such reactions as the digestion of food, which involves hydrolyzing protein, hydrolyzing polysaccharides and hydrolyzing fats. They're also involved in the extraction of the energy from food, the breakdown of fatty acids, the oxidation of glucose, the operation of the citric acid cycle, the transfer of hydrogen and its electrons to oxygen, the formation of ATP from ADP, which then provides energy for muscle activity, and the enzymes also control the synthesis reactions to make many other compounds. Much of the structural tissue of living things is made from or contains protein: skin, hair, muscle and part of bones. The carrier molecules that transport oxygen from the lungs to the cells and electrons from compounds like glucose, and those in the citric acid cycle to oxygen are proteins. Many of the hormones that stimulate reactions without actually catalyzing them are proteins. So, hopefully, you have the idea, proteins are important. In the pages of this section we will consider how proteins are synthesized and look at the roles of RNA and DNA in that process.
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