http://www.ck12.org Chapter 3. Chemical Interactions
3.38 Protein Classification
- Identify the class of biochemical compounds named proteins.
- Describe the structure of proteins.
- List functions of proteins.
These pretty, colorful “ribbons” aren’t leftover ribbons from birthday gifts. The “ribbons” are a model of a molecule
called hemoglobin, which is coursing through your blood vessels right now. Hemoglobin is a compound that is
found in red blood cells and has the crucial job of carrying oxygen to cells throughout the body. Your life depends
on hemoglobin.
Meet the Proteins
Hemoglobin is a compound in the class of compounds called proteins.Proteinsare one of four classes of biochemi-
cal compounds, which are compounds in living things. (The other three classes are carbohydrates, lipids, and nucleic
acids.) Proteins contain carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and sulfur. Protein molecules consist of one or more
chains of small molecules called amino acids.