At the time of writing this, I have finished "18th grade" and I still have quite a few years ahead of me before I am done with school. Typically, as an adult, when you tell someone that you are in school, they will ask two questions: What are you studying/what are you majoring in? (See …
What are all those squiggly lines you keep showing us? (How to “Read” a Protein Structure)
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, …
Meet Keratin!
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 …
Meet Rubisco!
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 …
What is a protein?? (P.S. science is for you)
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 …
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Meet ATP Synthase!
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 …
Meet Na+/K+ ATPase!
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 …
Meet Green Fluorescent Protein!
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 …
Meet Collagen!
You have more collagen in your body than any other protein. You can find it almost everywhere, but a lot of it lives in your bones, skin, and cartilage. Although collagen is made by your cells, it works outside of the cells. Collagen is a structural protein, and it is the primary protein that forms …
Meet IgG!
IgG is an abbreviation for immunoglobulin G. IgG is in the antibody family of proteins along with IgM, IgA, IgD, and IgE. Antibodies are proteins made by immune cells to recognize foreign objects in the body. They are secreted into the blood and circulated throughout the body so they can find those foreign objects. Each …
Science Magnifies 