Anyone who has looked into nutrition, medication, health, or any type of biology has heard about proteins, enzymes, and peptides. They are three different things, but they do have some aspects in common, which can make it a little confusing to the average reader.

Having a good baseline understanding of what each of these things are will help to better comprehend other topics related to health, nutrition, and more.

What Is A Protein?

Proteins are what most people are familiar with. They are one of the three primary nutrients (along with carbohydrates and fats) that make up our foods. As humans, we have to consume protein in order to survive, so it makes sense to know what it is.

Scientifically, proteins are molecules that are made up of one or more long chains of amino acids. There are many thousands of different types of proteins in existence, with our own human genome coded for over 20,000 of them alone.

Each cell within our body contains thousands, or even millions, of copies of specific proteins, which are used to provide structure, strength, and resilience within the given cell. If you don’t get enough protein, the cells in your body can become weaker and more prone to damage.

What Is An Enzyme?

Enzymes are larger molecules that are used by the body as a catalyst for chemical reactions. Interestingly, most (but certainly not all) enzymes are also proteins.

In nature (which includes the human body) chemical reactions often take place naturally at slow rates. Specific enzymes force specific reactions to take place much more quickly, which provides major evolutionary benefits to lifeforms.

There are thousands of different reactions that take place in our bodies every day that are made possible due to enzymes.

In addition to protein-based enzymes, there are also ribozymes (ribonucleic acid enzymes), which are also enzymes. Many enzymes are created by the body to ensure critical reactions can take place properly, but enzymes can also be consumed in our food to help ensure a good supply.

What Is A Peptide?

Peptides are also chains of amino acids, but these are much shorter than proteins. These chains are held together through a peptide bond, and unlike proteins that fold to avoid getting too long, peptides are more linear.

In many cases, peptides can combine into polypeptides to perform their function. They work as signal carriers throughout the body.

Both peptides and proteins are chains of amino acids, with the main difference being their length. While it is somewhat arbitrary, it is generally agreed upon that a chain of amino acids that has a mass of more than 10,000 Daltons (Daltons are a unit that is one twelfth the mass of a carbon atom) is considered a protein. Less mass means it is a peptide.

In other situations, if there are fewer than 50 amino acids in the chain, it is a peptide, but if there are more than 50, it is a protein. Again, these are not strict definitions and there are exceptions to the guideline.

Another thing that makes peptides special is that since they are generally simpler than proteins, they can be more easily synthesized using chemicals. Proteins, on the other hand, are made by cells. Of course, in the future, science will likely come up with ways to effectively synthesize proteins as well.

Having a basic understanding of these three types of essential molecules is important whether you are studying biology or just looking to improve your overall health. Of course, this is all just a high-level overview of the topic and much more can be said of each of these molecules.

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