Why Proteins Are Important Essay, Research Paper

Why Proteins Are Important Proteins are very important to the human body. They provide the body with the nessary means for growth and repair. Proteins are made up of amino acids. Most of the amino acids you need are made in the body except for Essential Amino Acids, which cannot be made in the body and are contained in certain foods. Proteins that contain these essential amino acids are called complete proteins and are found in foods like meat, eggs, dairy products and other foods that come from other animals. Although some may vary in structure, proteins each have a special function. Collagen, the most abundant protein in the body, holds your body together and gives you flexibility, strength, and shape to your skin. Hemoglobin, a protein in the bloodstream, has an important role in respiration by carrying oxygen through red blood cells. There is also a special group of proteins called enzymes that do many important things such as act as cataysists that can speed up a chemical reaction by temporally binding with a substance. Actin and Myosinare proteins that aid in muscle contraction in animals as well as humans. This enables us to move. The protein (hormone) Insulin, regulates the amount of sugar in the blood. If your body does not produce enough Insulin, a condition called diabetes mellitus develops. People with more serious cases of diabetes need injections of Insulin everyday. Another group of important proteins are antibodies. Antibodies are special defense proteins that help the human body fight off invasions by viruses and bacteria.

So as you see, although many different types of proteins serve many different functions, each is equally important for our survival.