What Are Proteins Essay, Research Paper

Proteins are a unique compound which contain certain atoms in a one of a kind structure. To start proteins are the building blocks that make animal tissue. Next, proteins are in the organic compound group. This means that a protein compound contains carbon as one of its base atoms. To continue, a protein is not just one structure of atoms but at least 200. These structures individually are known as amino acids. Twenty different kinds of amino acids are known to exist and each kind of protein has a different amount of the twenty amino acids in it. Moving on, each amino acid is made up of three parts. The first part consists of NH2, which is the amine part. The second part of the amino acid is based around a carbon atom and different kinds of atoms are attached to the carbon making each type of protein different form all the others. The third part of an amino acid is the organic part whose formula is COOH. In summation proteins are unlike any other compound because of their structure and the atoms they contain.

Thousands of food products that appear on the consumer market contain protein and a system exists for testing food products for protein. To start, in order to test a food product for protein one must place a food product, if it is a solid or does not dissolve quickly, in a test tube with 10ml of NaOH. Then let the product dissolve in this solution for thirty minutes. After the food is fully dissolved, place three drops of blue CuSO4 in the test tube and swirl to mix all three substances. If the mixture turns purple then protein has been indicated in the food product, if the mixture stays blue or turns any other color, then the food product tested does not contain protein. Next, to test a liquid food product or a food product that dissolves quickly, for protein, place the product in a test tube along with 10 ml of NaOH. Then immediately drop three drops of blue CuSO4 in the test tube and swirl the mixture togather. If the substance turns a purple color it contains protein, if it turns any other color or stays blue it does not. Many products do in fact have protein in them. For example, Meat products such as chicken and tuna cat food contain protein. Also, dairy products such as milk, powdered milk, egg whites and egg yokes contain protein. Lastly some products made form vegetation contain protein like corn meal, saltine crackers, peanut butter and garbonzo beans. In conclusion a process for testing food products for protein has been established and many food products were found to contain protein.