What does protein mean?

Definitions for protein
ˈproʊ tin, -ti ɪnpro·tein

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word protein.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. proteinnoun

    any of a large group of nitrogenous organic compounds that are essential constituents of living cells; consist of polymers of amino acids; essential in the diet of animals for growth and for repair of tissues; can be obtained from meat and eggs and milk and legumes

    "a diet high in protein"

Wiktionary

  1. proteinnoun

    Any of numerous large, complex naturally-produced molecules composed of one or more long chains of amino acids, in which the amino acid groups are held together by peptide bonds.

  2. proteinnoun

    One of three major classes of food or source of food energy (4 kcal/gram) abundant in animal-derived foods and some vegetables, such as legumes. see carbohydrate and fat for the other two major classes

Wikipedia

  1. Protein

    Proteins are large biomolecules and macromolecules that comprise one or more long chains of amino acid residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms, including catalysing metabolic reactions, DNA replication, responding to stimuli, providing structure to cells and organisms, and transporting molecules from one location to another. Proteins differ from one another primarily in their sequence of amino acids, which is dictated by the nucleotide sequence of their genes, and which usually results in protein folding into a specific 3D structure that determines its activity. A linear chain of amino acid residues is called a polypeptide. A protein contains at least one long polypeptide. Short polypeptides, containing less than 20–30 residues, are rarely considered to be proteins and are commonly called peptides. The individual amino acid residues are bonded together by peptide bonds and adjacent amino acid residues. The sequence of amino acid residues in a protein is defined by the sequence of a gene, which is encoded in the genetic code. In general, the genetic code specifies 20 standard amino acids; but in certain organisms the genetic code can include selenocysteine and—in certain archaea—pyrrolysine. Shortly after or even during synthesis, the residues in a protein are often chemically modified by post-translational modification, which alters the physical and chemical properties, folding, stability, activity, and ultimately, the function of the proteins. Some proteins have non-peptide groups attached, which can be called prosthetic groups or cofactors. Proteins can also work together to achieve a particular function, and they often associate to form stable protein complexes. Once formed, proteins only exist for a certain period and are then degraded and recycled by the cell's machinery through the process of protein turnover. A protein's lifespan is measured in terms of its half-life and covers a wide range. They can exist for minutes or years with an average lifespan of 1–2 days in mammalian cells. Abnormal or misfolded proteins are degraded more rapidly either due to being targeted for destruction or due to being unstable. Like other biological macromolecules such as polysaccharides and nucleic acids, proteins are essential parts of organisms and participate in virtually every process within cells. Many proteins are enzymes that catalyse biochemical reactions and are vital to metabolism. Proteins also have structural or mechanical functions, such as actin and myosin in muscle and the proteins in the cytoskeleton, which form a system of scaffolding that maintains cell shape. Other proteins are important in cell signaling, immune responses, cell adhesion, and the cell cycle. In animals, proteins are needed in the diet to provide the essential amino acids that cannot be synthesized. Digestion breaks the proteins down for metabolic use. Proteins may be purified from other cellular components using a variety of techniques such as ultracentrifugation, precipitation, electrophoresis, and chromatography; the advent of genetic engineering has made possible a number of methods to facilitate purification. Methods commonly used to study protein structure and function include immunohistochemistry, site-directed mutagenesis, X-ray crystallography, nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectrometry.

ChatGPT

  1. protein

    Protein is a complex organic compound that plays crucial roles in the body. It is composed of one or more chains of amino acids, which are the building blocks of protein. Proteins are essential for the growth, development, and repair of tissues, organs, and cells in the body. They also function as enzymes, hormones, antibodies, and can be used for energy. The structure and function of each protein is determined by the specific sequence of amino acids it contains.

Webster Dictionary

  1. Proteinnoun

    a body now known as alkali albumin, but originally considered to be the basis of all albuminous substances, whence its name

  2. Etymology: [Gr. prw^tos first: cf. prwtei^on the first place.]

Wikidata

  1. Protein

    Proteins are large biological molecules consisting of one or more chains of amino acids. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within living organisms, including catalyzing metabolic reactions, replicating DNA, responding to stimuli, and transporting molecules from one location to another. Proteins differ from one another primarily in their sequence of amino acids, which is dictated by the nucleotide sequence of their genes, and which usually results in folding of the protein into a specific three-dimensional structure that determines its activity. A polypeptide is a single linear polymer chain of amino acids bonded together by peptide bonds between the carboxyl and amino groups of adjacent amino acid residues. The sequence of amino acids in a protein is defined by the sequence of a gene, which is encoded in the genetic code. In general, the genetic code specifies 20 standard amino acids; however, in certain organisms the genetic code can include selenocysteine and—in certain archaea—pyrrolysine. Shortly after or even during synthesis, the residues in a protein are often chemically modified by posttranslational modification, which alters the physical and chemical properties, folding, stability, activity, and ultimately, the function of the proteins. Sometimes proteins have non-peptide groups attached, which can be called prosthetic groups or cofactors. Proteins can also work together to achieve a particular function, and they often associate to form stable protein complexes.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary

  1. Protein

    prō′tē-in, n. the first element in any compound: formerly the supposed common radical of the group of bodies which form the most essential articles of food, albumen, fibrine, &c.—n. Prō′tēid, a body containing protein: one of several bodies which go to make up the soft tissues of animals and vegetables. [Gr. prōtos, first, suffix -in.]

Editors Contribution

  1. protein

    A type of matter, molecule or form of food.

    Proteins differ from one another primarily in their sequence of amino acids, which is created by the nucleotide sequence of their genes.


    Submitted by MaryC on September 9, 2015  

Suggested Resources

  1. protein

    Song lyrics by protein -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by protein on the Lyrics.com website.

Matched Categories

British National Corpus

  1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

    Rank popularity for the word 'protein' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #3371

  2. Nouns Frequency

    Rank popularity for the word 'protein' in Nouns Frequency: #1090

Anagrams for protein »

  1. interop

  2. pointer

  3. pterion

  4. repoint

  5. tropein

  6. tropine

How to pronounce protein?

How to say protein in sign language?

Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of protein in Chaldean Numerology is: 5

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of protein in Pythagorean Numerology is: 7

Examples of protein in a Sentence

  1. Heather Fields:

    We've also seen that replacing red and processed meats with other protein sources has been associated with decreased risk of mortality in this study and in past studies, keeping these findings in mind, we can now shift focus on which foods we can add to the diet to improve longevity and decrease risk of chronic diseases.

  2. Shane Crotty:

    RNA is like snapchat messages that expire. RNA vaccines do NOT become a permanent part of your body. They are temporary messages instructing cells to make one viral protein temporarily, it takes 25 different coronavirus proteins to make a coronavirus, so there is no worry about the RNA making a virus.

  3. Gillian Coughlan:

    Most of the associations we saw between menopause and tau protein occurred in the context of high amyloid, now a large portion of the older population do accumulate amyloid as they get older — it’s not that uncommon.

  4. Liviu Movileanu:

    Yet this and other protein biomarkers might undergo significantly amplified levels in the bloodstream even in noncancerous conditions, therefore, our existing blood tests for cancer diagnosis are normally coupled with other procedures, such as imaging and biopsy tests.

  5. Walter Willett:

    If someone replaces eggs with doughnuts, other refined starches and sugar or saturated fats, I'd rather they eat eggs, but for someone who really wants to be in optimal health. putting the emphasis on plant-based protein sources like steel-cut oatmeal and nuts would be a better way to go.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

protein#1#1548#10000

Translations for protein

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"protein." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 23 Apr. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/protein>.

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