The importance of proteins and carbohydrates in plants and animals - .
Relative importance of each use in plants and animals.
Both proteins and carbohydrates are of vital importance to the living world.
Proteins are essential to maintaining the structure and function of all life. The word itself is derived from the Greek word "protos" meaning primary. Proteins are vital for the growth, repair, and maintenance of muscles, blood, internal organs, skin, hair, and nails. After long hard workouts, protein is essential to rebuild worn out tissue, and rebuild muscle.
Proteins are polymers and work by being broken down into smaller components named amino acids, and then rebuild again where and when they are needed. These amino acids join together as chains which can be twisted and folded depending on the molecular structure. There are twenty different types of amino acids found in proteins which can be arranged in any order in chains lasting 2000 units long enabling their variety. A protein is a specific number of amino acids assembled in a specific order.
Peptide bonds are formed in amino acids between the amino and carboxyl group of adjacent amino acids to make peptide chains. As with carbohydrates these are only able to form via a condensation reaction, removing a molecule of water. However this sequence of amino acids is only the beginning, the primary structure. On top of this you may have the secondary, tertiary and quaternary structures depending on the complexity of its use.
Haemoglobin in red blood cells is one such use, consisting of four polypeptide chains with iron; they are modified by being linked to mineral ions. Other proteins can be linked to carbohydrates to form glycoproteins. Its function is to inhibit the enzyme elestate produced by white blood cells to keep elastic tissue in the lungs intact.
Globular proteins are tertiary and are susceptible to pH and temperature changes, e.g. enzymes, hormones, antibodies and haemoglobin.
