How are proteins synthesized in the body?

Proteins are synthesized in the body through the process of linking many amino acids together, which is known as peptide bonding. Proteins are polymers made up of long chains of amino acids, and the sequence of these amino acids determines the specific structure and function of each protein. This process occurs during translation, a key part of gene expression where messenger RNA (mRNA) is used as a template to assemble amino acids in the correct order as defined by the genetic code.

The synthesis begins when the ribosome binds to the mRNA, and transfer RNA (tRNA) molecules bring the appropriate amino acids to the ribosome according to the codons on the mRNA. Each amino acid is linked to the last by peptide bonds, resulting in a polypeptide chain that will eventually fold into a specific three-dimensional shape to become a functional protein. This intricate process highlights the fundamental role of amino acids as the building blocks of proteins.