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Biology vocabulary · Molecules of Life and Metabolism

Protein

Meaning in biology, with examples

/ˈproʊtiːn/nounCore term

In biology, protein means: A large molecule made of one or more chains of amino acids folded into a specific shape. Proteins build cell structures, speed up reactions and carry signals.

In Turkish: protein

How it is used

One of the four main groups of biological molecules, with carbohydrates, lipids and nucleic acids. Researchers talk about protein structure, protein folding, protein synthesis and protein levels. A gene encodes, or codes for, a protein.

Example sentences

  1. Hemoglobin is the protein that carries oxygen in red blood cells.

  2. The mutation changes the shape of the protein, so it can no longer bind its target.

Common collocations

  • protein synthesis
  • protein structure
  • protein folding
  • encode a protein
  • membrane protein
  • amino acidOne of the small building blocks that join in chains to make proteins. Living things use 20 common amino acids, each with a different side chain.
  • enzymeA molecule, usually a protein, that speeds up a chemical reaction in a living thing without being used up. Each enzyme acts on a specific substrate at its active site.
  • translationThe step of gene expression in which a ribosome reads the codons in messenger RNA and joins the matching amino acids together to build a protein.
  • geneA section of DNA that carries the instructions for making a particular protein or functional RNA. Genes are the basic units of heredity passed from parents to offspring.
  • denatureTo change the natural folded shape of a protein or DNA, for example with heat, extreme pH or chemicals, so that it can no longer work normally.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Molecules of Life and Metabolism

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