Organic compounds made of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and (in some cases) sulfur bonded in characteristic formations. Strings of amino acids make up proteins.
The chemical forma tion-NH 2 , which is part of all amino acids.
The area of the biological sciences concerned with the chemical substances and processes in organisms.
The formation-COOH, which is common to all amino acids.
Deoxyribonucleic acid, a molecule in all cells, and many viruses, containing genetic codes for inheritance.
A protein material that speeds up chemical reactions in the bodies of plants and animals.
Amino acids that cannot be manufactured by the body and therefore must be obtained from the diet. Proteins that contain essential amino acids are known as complete proteins.
An iron-containing protein in red blood cells that is responsible for transporting oxygen to the tissues and removing carbon dioxide from them. Hemoglobin is known for its deep red color.
A plant-eating organism.
Molecules produced by living cells, which send signals to spots remote from their point of origin and induce specific effects on the activities of other cells.
An organism that eats both plants and other animals.
At one time chemists used the term organic only in reference to living things. Now the word is applied to compounds containing carbon and hydrogen.
A bond between the carboxyl group of one amino acid and the amino group of a second amino acid.
Large, chainlike molecules composed of numerous subunits known as monomers.
A group of between 10 and 50 amino acids.
Large molecules built from long chains of 50 or more amino acids. Proteins serve the functions of promoting normal growth, repairing damaged tissue, contributing to the body's immune system, and making enzymes.
Ribonucleic acid, the molecule translated from DNA in the cell nucleus, the control center of the cell, that directs protein synthesis in the cytoplasm, or the space between cells.
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