Protein: What exactly it is?
Protein: What exactly it is? Protein is the most abundant nitrogen-containing compound in the diet and the body. Throughout the day there is a continual process of protein turnover, with protein being broken down and formed at the same time. The largest reservoir of protein is found in the muscles, but there is limit capacity to store new proteins. Therefore, protein intake in excess of requirements is either broke down to provide energy or stored as fat or carbohydrate. Prot ein is needed for the growth and repair of tissues. During digestion proteins is broken down into smaller units called amino acids. Amino acids are commonly described as building blocks of protein. In chemistry, an amino acid is a molecules containing amine and carboxyl functional group. There are about 20 different naturally occurring amino acids, which can be combined to make a vast array of different proteins. The terms ‘essential’ and ‘non-essential’ amino acid refer to whether the amino acid in qu...