Chapter 6 – Protein and Amino acids

Protein
u The Building Blocks of Proteins Are Amino Acids
u Essential and Nonessential Amino Acids
u Building Proteins from Amino Acids
u Protein Function Is Altered by Denaturation
u What Happens to the Proteins You Eat?

1. The Building Blocks of Proteins Are Amino Acids

- Proteins are the predominant structural and functional materials in every cell in the
body.
- Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins.
o Amino acids are like digits in a phone number—they link together to form
unique sequences with a specific purpose.
o Contain carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen
o A unique side chain gives the amino acid its
distinguishing qualities.
o There are 20 amino acids.
o Categorized as either essential or
nonessential

2. Essential and Nonessential Amino Acids

- There are nine essential amino acids.
o The body cannot synthesize these.
o Must be obtained from foods
o Found in foods such as meat and milk
- The remaining 11 are nonessential amino acids.
o These can be created in the body so are not essential in the diet.

3. Building Proteins from Amino Acids

- Amino acids are joined by peptide bonds.
o Dipeptide: two amino acids joined
o Tripeptide: three amino acids joined
o Polypeptide: many amino acids joined together
- Proteins typically consist of 100 to 1,000 amino acids in a specific sequence.
- Fold into a distinct 3-D shape based on the interaction of the side chains with each
other and the environment
o Hydrophobic side chains cluster to the interior.
o Hydrophilic side chains assemble on the outside surface.
- The shape of a protein determines its function in the body.
 4. Protein Function Is Altered by Denaturation
- Denaturation: the alteration of a protein’s shape due to exposure to heat, acids, or salt
o Doesn’t alter the sequence of amino acids
o Alters its function, sometimes permanently
o Examples:
 Frying an egg
 Marinating shrimp in an
acidic mixture
 Acidic stomach juices denature
and untangle proteins during
digestion

How Does Your Body Build Proteins?

u Your Body Degrades and Synthesizes Proteins
u DNA Directs the Synthesis of New Proteins
u The diet provides essential and nonessential amino acids.
u A limited amount of all of these are stockpiled in amino acid pools in the blood and
cells.
u The body constantly degrades its proteins to replenish the amino acid pools and build
the new proteins it needs.

The Fate of Amino Acids in Your Body

1. Your Body Degrades and Synthesizes Proteins

- Protein turnover: the process of continually degrading and synthesizing protein
within the body
o 200 grams of protein are turned over daily.
o The intestines and liver account for as much as 50 percent of turnover.
- Proteins and amino acids are lost daily through sloughed-off skin, hair, nails, and
intestinal cells.
- Amino acid pools provide the building materials to synthesize replacement proteins
and nonprotein substances such as thyroid hormones and melanin.
 - When amino acids are broken down, the component parts meet different fates.
o The nitrogen forms ammonia (NH3), which is converted to urea by the liver
and excreted in urine via the kidneys.
o The carbon-containing remnants are converted to glucose and used as energy
or stored as fat.
- Surplus amino acids from excess dietary protein can't be stored as protein, so they are
stored as fat.

Protein Synthesis

2. DNA Directs the Synthesis of New Proteins

- Abnormalities in protein synthesis can result in serious medical conditions.
- Sickle-cell anemia is a blood disorder caused by abnormal formation of the protein
hemoglobin.
o Displacement of one amino acid causes the hemoglobin chains to stick to one
another.
o Red blood cells are stiff and sickle
(half-moon) shaped under certain
conditions when oxygen levels
are low.
o Abnormal cells can build up in blood
vessels, causing painful blockages
and damage to tissues and organs.

How Does Your Body Use Proteins?

u Proteins Provide Structural and Mechanical Support
u Proteins Help Maintain Body Tissues
u Proteins Build Enzymes and Hormones
u Proteins Help Maintain Fluid Balance
u Proteins Help Maintain Acid-Base Balance
u Proteins Transport Substances throughout the Body
u Proteins Are Needed for Antibodies and the Immune Response
u Proteins Can Provide Energy

1. Proteins Provide Structural and Mechanical Support

- Fibrous proteins in your bones, muscles, and other tissues help hold up your body.
- Collagen is the most abundant protein in your body and is found in all of your
connective tissues, including bones, tendons, and ligaments.
- Other proteins provide mechanical support by helping your muscles contract.
- Eating extra protein won't make muscles larger, but weight-bearing exercise will.

2. Proteins Help Maintain Body Tissues

- Daily wear and tear on the body causes breakdown of hundreds of grams of protein
each day.
o Proteins help create a new layer of outer skin every 25 to 45 days.
o Your body has trillions of red blood cells with life spans of just 120 days.
o The cells lining the inner surface of your organs (such as lungs and intestines)
are constantly sloughed off, excreted, and replaced.
- Protein is essential in healing.
- Extensive wounds or burns can more than triple protein needs

3. Proteins Build Enzymes and Hormones

- Enzymes are substances that speed up reactions in the body.
o Many are proteins
o Are not changed, damaged, or used up in the process
o Many reactions also utilize a coenzyme, such as a vitamin, to initiate the
reaction.
- Hormones are protein- or lipid-based chemical messengers that initiate or direct a
specific action.
o Released from tissues and organs and travel to target cells in another part of
the body to direct an activity
- Examples: glucagon and insulin
- An Enzyme in Action
4. Proteins Help Maintain Fluid Balance
- Proteins help ensure that the water in your body is distributed evenly.
o Fluids can flow easily through capillaries and into the spaces between cells.
o Proteins are too big to cross cell membranes.
o Proteins attract water and draw fluids back into the capillaries to maintain a
balance.
o During severe malnutrition, fewer proteins are available and fluid imbalances
and edema can result.

5. Proteins Help Maintain Acid-Base Balance

- Normal blood pH is 7.4.
o Acidosis: a pH below 7.35; can result in a coma
o Alkalosis: a pH above 7.45; can result in convulsions
- Proteins act as buffers in your blood.
o Minimize changes in acid-base levels by picking up or donating hydrogen ions
from some amino acid side chains

6. Proteins Transport Substances throughout the Body

- Transport proteins carry oxygen, waste products, lipids, some vitamins, sodium, and
potassium through your blood and cell membranes.
o Hemoglobin acts as a transport protein for oxygen and carbon dioxide.
o In cell membranes, transport proteins control the entry and exit of sodium and
potassium.
o Substances that are not lipid soluble or are too large to pass through the cell
membrane must use a protein channel.
- Protein Transport
 7. Proteins Are Needed for Antibodies and the Immune Response
- The immune system uses specialized proteins called antibodies to tag potentially
harmful substances for elimination from the body.
o Immunity occurs once your body knows how to create antibodies against a
specific invader.
- An allergic reaction is caused by the body incorrectly perceiving a nonthreatening
substance as harmful and attacking it.

8. Proteins Can Provide Energy

- Proteins provide 4 calories per gram.
- When the diet contains adequate calories from carbohydrates and fat, proteins are
spared for other important roles in the body.
- In times of starvation, the body breaks down protein from muscles for energy.
o The waste products from protein breakdown must be eliminated, which is a
burden for the liver and kidneys.

Important Points to Remember:

1. Proteins are made of amino acids joined together by peptide bonds. The are 20
different amino acids, each characterized by a unique side chain.
2. The interaction between the side chains of amino acids cause a protein to fold into a
precise three-dimensional shape, which determines its function. Heat, acids, and salts
disrupt the shape and function of a protein.
3. Of the 20 amino acids, nine are essential and must be obtained through the diet. The
body can synthesize the remaining 11 amino acids.
4. A limited number of amino acids are readily available in pools in your body. DNA
within your cells directs the synthesis of proteins. Excess amino acids are broken
down and stored in another form or used as energy. The nitrogen is converted into the
waste product urea and excreted in urine.
5. Proteins play many roles in the body. They provide structural support, supply
materials for ongoing maintenance, form enzymes and hormones, maintain acid-base
and fluid balance, transport nutrients, aid your immune system, and provide energy
when needed.