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What are proteins? How can the protein diversity of living beings be explained?

Proteins are molecules made of sequences of amino acids bound by peptide bond.

The genetic code codifies twenty different amino acids that can compose proteins. So there are numerous possibilities of amino acid combination to form polypeptide chains and for this reason protein molecules can be immensely diverse.

What is the importance of proteins for the living beings?

Proteins play fundamental role in nearly all biological processes. Due to their diversity they can assume many different configurations and they can play varied roles in cells and tissues.

Some protein functions are noteworthy: the structural function (cell membrane proteins, cytoskeleton proteins, proteins of the connective tissue), the enzymatic function (enzymes are proteins), the energy storage function (proteins can be degrade into acetyl-CoA and “cycle” the Krebs cycle), the osmotic regulation function (albumin), the transportation function (membrane channels, respiratory pigments), the immune protection function (antibodies), the movement function (contractile proteins), the endocrine integration function (hormones) and the informative function (membrane receptors, intracellular signalers). There are also many proteins whose biological functions are not yet known.

What is the constitutional unit of proteins?

The constitutional units of proteins are the amino acids.