Works in Progress Podcast Proteins: Weird blobs that do important things
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Sep 3, 2025 Dive into the fascinating world of proteins as they unfold like a vibrant city’s layout. Discover how proteins fold into complex shapes, impacting everything from medicine to cooking. Learn about the largest human protein, Titan, and its astonishing structure. Explore the swift and precise actions of enzymes, the unsung heroes of biochemistry. The episode also touches on the intriguing interplay between mRNA size and micro proteins, inviting you to ponder the boundaries of protein function.
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Billions Of Proteins Per Cell
- A typical human cell contains on the order of 10 billion protein molecules.
- Protein counts vary by cell type but are far larger than intuitive guesses.
mRNA Can Be Bigger Than Its Protein
- mRNA molecules that code for proteins are physically larger and heavier than the proteins they encode.
- Each amino acid is coded by three nucleotides, and nucleotides weigh more than amino acids per unit.
Proteins Can Be Tiny And Functional
- Functional proteins can be extremely small, with microproteins under 100 amino acids.
- Some signaling peptides like somatostatin are as short as 14 amino acids yet remain biologically active.
