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What are the finishing touches?
A cell makes proteins by joining together amino acids into long chains. As they are made, the chains begin to take on their complex shapes. Scientists have worked out the 3D shapes of many human proteins. This knowledge is essential for understanding how each protein works. Many proteins need to combine with other proteins before they can do their job. Sometimes fats or carbohydrates attach to the protein.Enlarge
Proteins, like this antibody, have complex 3D shapes.
When is a protein ready for action?
Some proteins are made first as an inactive form, and later trimmed into a smaller active form. For example insulin, the hormone that regulates your blood sugar levels, is produced from a larger inactive molecule. Other proteins, for example the enzymes that control the rate of chemical reactions in your body, are also first made in an inactive form. Your cells can activate these enzymes as and when they are needed.
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Computer graphic showing a part of the molecule of human insulin.
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