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If you look at any of my posts introducing a specific protein, you will always see an image like this one: 3D Model of Hemoglobin Maybe you see these images and ask, "What are all these squiggly lines you keep showing us?" These squiggly lines are three-dimensional representations of proteins. Every protein has a structure, …
You have probably heard of keratin before--it is the protein that makes up your hair and nails. It also makes up hooves, antlers, horns, and feathers. It is classified as a filamentous protein (because it forms filaments). Keratin is found in structures such as horns, hooves, and hair. Keratin filaments look a bit like rope …
Rubisco is found in the chloroplasts of plant cells where it plays a key role in photosynthesis. Rubisco works in the chloroplasts of plant cells Remember that photosynthesis is the process plants (and some bacteria) use to build glucose sugar molecules using CO2 and energy from light. Plants can't just stitch a bunch of raw …
You may have heard of Cas9 before in discussions and news about gene editing with CRISPR! (The two women who established how to use CRISPR-Cas9 in the lab won the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.) In nature, CRISPR is a bacterial acquired immune system. It recognizes invading DNA, like from viruses for example, and "saves" …
DNA Polymerase lives and works in the cell's nucleus where it is the star of DNA replication. In the cell nucleus, DNA Polymerase makes a copy of DNA to prepare for cell division. When a cell divides into two cells, it needs to make a copy of its DNA so that each resulting cell has …
E Cadherin is a membrane protein that helps cells stick to other cells at cell junctions. Cell junctions are critical for forming and maintaining healthy tissues. Could you imagine if your skin cells suddenly couldn't stick together?! E Cadherin is one of the proteins that makes sure our skin, and every other part of our …
This blog is all about proteins, but what even is a protein? Think about how you would define "protein" for a moment. Feel free to comment and share your definition. Now that it's in the open, throw it in the garbage. If you ask Google to "define protein," this is what you will find: "Pro•tein …
Continue reading "What is a protein?? (P.S. science is for you)"
ATP synthase is a really, really important protein for life. That's because it makes ATP molecules, which are like the energy currency of the molecular world. (Essentially, ATP = Energy!) As you may expect, ATP synthase works in the inner membranes of mitochondria. If mitochondria are the powerhouses of the cell, ATP synthase is the …
Its name is pronounced "sodium-potassium A. T. P. ay-ss" but it more commonly goes by "sodium-potassium pump" or "Na+/K+ pump." It works at the cell membrane and is named for its job: pumping sodium and potassium ions using energy from ATP. Animal cell The amounts of these positively-charged ions in the cell needs to stay …
Green Fluorescent Protein goes by the nickname "GFP." It was first found in jellyfish and named for its unique ability to fluoresce, or emit light, that is--you guessed it--the color green! GFP emits green light when activated by blue or UV light. GFP is made of 236 amino acids (protein building blocks) that form what …
Julia Migliore 