What is the basic building block of proteins?

The basic building block of proteins is amino acids. Proteins are large, complex molecules that play many critical roles in the body, and they are made up of long chains of amino acids linked together by peptide bonds. There are 20 different amino acids that combine in various sequences to form proteins, giving them unique structures and functions.

Amino acids have a central carbon atom bonded to four groups: an amino group, a carboxyl group, a hydrogen atom, and a variable side chain known as the R group. The sequence and composition of these amino acids determine the protein's three-dimensional structure and its specific function in biological processes.

While nucleotides are the building blocks of nucleic acids like DNA and RNA, sugars are primarily associated with carbohydrates, and fatty acids are components of lipids, none of these serve as the fundamental units of protein structure. Thus, amino acids are specifically responsible for the formation of proteins.