Essential amino acids are required by the human body, but they cannot be synthesised in the body. They must be taken through food. For example: valine and leucine
Non-essential amino acids are also required by the human body, but they can be synthesised in the body. For example: glycine, and alanine
An essential part of every cell in our body, protein is one of the three macronutrients which is required by our body in larger amounts. Proteins are made up of linear chains of smaller units called amino acids. Every biochemical process that takes place inside our bodies is possible because of these proteins. Proteins are 3-dimensional structures that are assembled with different amino acid sequences.
Proteins are used in many ways. Some of their functions are:
Proteins are classified on the basis of:
A protein molecule is made from a long chain of amino acids, each linked to its neighbor through a covalent peptide bond. The structure of proteins are divided into four types: