Whats the relationship between genes and proteins?
The short answer to this question is, genes provide the information for the construction of proteins. Proteins are very important molecules in our body, because they serve so many important functions. The proteins that are constructed by your cells have several functions: • Structural functions, such as helping to maintain cell shape. • Enzyme functions, such as catalyzing chemical reactions. • Signaling functions, such as serving as chemical messengers in the immune system. • Hormone functions, such as carrying chemical messages throughout the body via the bloodstream. Where do proteins come from? Proteins are made by cells by combining amino acids. Amino acids are obtained in two ways – your body synthesizes some, but many come from the food that you eat. How do your cells know how to make the hundreds of different of proteins that your body requires? That’s where genes come in. Genes are the bits of information that are found in the DNA, the genetic material that is found in the nuc
