Search Dictionary
Version history
- Current: Jan 18, 2022
Protein
A protein is a macromolecule composed of α-amino acids connected by peptide bonds.
A short chain of α-amino acids is called a peptide, but there is no universary accepted threshold to distinguish proteins and peptides by molecular sizes.
Definitions in the literature
- Long amino acid polymers or polypeptides constitute the basic structural unit of proteins, and the structure of protein provides insights into how it fulfills its functions [1].
- A macromolecule whose primary structure is a linear sequence of α-amino acids and whose final structure results from folding of the chain into a specific three-dimensional structure [2].
- Any of a large group of organic compounds found in all living organisms. Proteins comprise carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen and most also contain sulphur; molecular weights range from 6 to several thousand kilodaltons (kDa) [3].
