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.

---

Discover More

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

Example Sentences

Sir Demis, chief executive of Google's AI company DeepMind, used AI to predict the structures of almost all known proteins and created a tool called AlphaFold2.

From BBC • May 18, 2026

In 2024, computer scientist Sir Demis Hassabis shared the Nobel prize for Chemistry for "revolutionary" work on proteins, the building blocks of life.

From BBC • May 18, 2026

Using advanced proteomics technology, the team tracked roughly 3,000 proteins circulating in the bloodstream.

From Science Daily • May 17, 2026

Earlier work by the research teams had already identified a role for G proteins, which have the specific role of enabling the transfer of information within cells, in regulating mitochondrial activity in the brain.

From Science Daily • May 16, 2026

We both use nucleic acids for heredity; we both use proteins as enzymes to control the chemistry of our cells.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan