The work of the cell is carried out by the many different types of molecules
it assembles, mostly proteins. Protein molecules are long, usually folded
chains made from 20 different kinds of amino-acid molecules. The function
of each protein molecule depends on its specific sequence of amino acids
and the shape the chain takes is a consequence of attractions between the
chain's parts.
| NSES Content Standard C
Life Science: The cell Grades 9-12, page 184 Most cell functions involve chemical reactions. Food molecules taken into cells react to provide the chemical constituents needed to synthesize other molecules. Both breakdown and synthesis are made possible by a large set of protein catalysts, called enzymes. The breakdown of some of the food molecules enables the cell to store energy in specific chemicals that are used to carry out the many functions of the cell. |