proteins

Cultural  

1. Complex organic molecules (see also organic molecule) made up of amino acids. Proteins are basic components of all living cells and are therefore among the principal substances that make up the body. In addition to being necessary for the growth and repair of the body's tissues, proteins provide energy and act as enzymes that control chemical reactions in the cell.

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Foods that contain a high percentage of protein include meat, fish, poultry, milk products, beans, and nuts.

Example Sentences

In real viruses, surface proteins are embedded within a lipid membrane and arranged in specific shapes.

From Science Daily • Apr. 12, 2026

Viruses are highly effective at entering human cells, largely because of specialized proteins that cover their outer surfaces.

From Science Daily • Apr. 12, 2026

The researchers believe the same method could also be applied to other viruses with similar membrane-bound proteins, including influenza and SARS-CoV-2.

From Science Daily • Apr. 12, 2026

The results confirmed that antibodies could successfully recognize and bind to these proteins within the same membrane-like environment.

From Science Daily • Apr. 12, 2026

Thus in the immediate postwar years he was especially keen about the possibility of solving the structures of proteins, the most complicated of all molecules.

From "Double Helix" by James D. Watson