Page 264 - AWSAR 2.0

240 || AWSAR Awarded Popular Science Stories - 2019
Do You Really Know Proteins?
Mr. Mitul Srivastava*
Email: pisces.ms2502@gmail.com
Those were beautiful and innocent days of childhood when the teacher would ask, “What is a protein?” and, we all would answer with child-like eagerness, “Proteins are the building blocks of human body” and then would come the next tricky question, “How much of your muscle is composed of proteins” and again we would answered, “80% Ma’am/ Sir”. From that day onwards, I understood the significance of this component in our body and what is it to be surrounded by a science loving family, I was always told the importance of lentils, green vegetables, eggs, meat and almonds, the key source of proteins for our body. From understanding the initial meaning of “building blocks” and to perceiving the complete architecture of proteins, we “the science heads” grew up. Later with growing
moustaches and hormonal expansions, we understood what proteins were capable of. We understood that they can control the growth and maintenance of smallest functional unit of human body “the cell”, they help in growing beards and moustaches “the messenger protein: like hormones”, they help you in growing biceps “the muscle formations”, they fight for you as soldiers “antibodies”, become saviours of your life and always try their best to keep you healthy.
From this beautiful landscape of proteins, I always wondered, “What can go wrong with them? As we all know that every coin has two sides and, similarly, even a single spot on moon sometimes diminishes its beauty. Similar is the case with proteins as they are involved in many diseases and their role is
* Mr. Mitul Srivastava, PhD Scholar from Delhi Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research University, Delhi, is pursuing his research on “Protein Structural Dynamics and Allostery”. His popular science story entitled “Do you really know proteins?” has been selected for AWSAR Award.