What are the building blocks of proteins?

The building blocks of proteins are amino acids. Proteins are essential macromolecules in the body that perform a variety of structural and functional roles, ranging from forming muscles and supporting cellular functions to acting as enzymes and hormones.

Amino acids link together through peptide bonds to form polypeptide chains, which then fold into specific three-dimensional shapes to create functional proteins. The sequence and properties of these amino acids determine the structure and function of the resulting protein. There are 20 standard amino acids, and the variations in their combinations lead to the vast diversity of proteins found in living organisms.

Sugars, fatty acids, and nucleotides are not responsible for protein synthesis; sugars are the building blocks of carbohydrates, fatty acids are components of lipids, and nucleotides build nucleic acids such as DNA and RNA. Each of these biomolecules plays a crucial role in biological systems, but when it comes to proteins specifically, amino acids are the fundamental units.