Protein is a vital substance

Protein is a class of substances necessary for life to every organism. The fact is that its molecules perform a huge number of very diverse functions, without which the existence of any living entities would be impossible.

What do proteins consist of?

Each such substance includes a sufficiently large number of smaller components called amino acids. In total, only slightly more than 40 of them have been discovered. At the same time, only 20 of them can be found in the human body.

Amino acids can be combined in almost any order. A change in the position of at least 1 of them entails a complete metamorphosis of the properties that the protein will possess. As a result, today there is a great variety of all kinds of proteins.

Functions of protein molecules

At the moment it is established that proteins play an exceptional role for all living things. The thing is that protein is a biologically active substance that can influence each of the organs. Naturally, different proteins are responsible for different parts of the body.

If we talk about the functions of proteins, it is first of all necessary to note the fact that they represent the most active substances of the body - enzymes and hormones. They regulate human metabolism at each of its levels. Excellent examples are the following proteins: pepsin, chymotrypsin, somatotropin, vasopressin, insulin, prolactin and others.

In addition, it should be noted that the proteins are composed of muscle fibers. Due to the special properties of actin and myosin, a person, as well as all animals, are able to move around. The fact is that they can contract and relax. As a result, being under the control of the central nervous system, the muscle fibers provide movement. As a result, protein is a substance that allows a person and other living things to move around.

Also, in certain cases, proteins can be used as an energy source. However, this happens only when the body receives insufficient amounts of carbohydrates and fats. So, with certainty it can be said that proteins are substances that, although they can be used as energy material, are not intended for this.

Protein content in various foods

To ensure life, a person needs to receive about 100 grams of protein per day. It is believed that most of the proteins can be obtained from meat. In fact, everything is somewhat different. Most of the protein is found in the eggs of chum and sturgeon. In addition, a lot of proteins are found in soy, white dried mushrooms, beans, lentils and peas.

Despite all this, for a person protein is a substance that is obtained primarily from meat, poultry, and fish. Particularly rich in proteins are foods such as tuna, beef, chicken, pork, rabbit, turkey, and ham.

An important source of protein are Swiss and Dutch cheese. Other products made from milk have a fairly low content of proteins.

Many are interested in how much protein in the eggs. Now it is already known that in their dry residue is a large number of proteins. As for ordinary eggs, there is much less protein here than in meat.