Anyone who’s had a biology class probably remembers how important proteins are. Often referred to as the workhorses of the body, proteins exist in every single cell. What do they do? It’s probably fairer to ask: What don’t they do?
They function as a building material within cells; they copy DNA, and they carry messages and oxygen to various parts of the body. In short, protein makes us us: Without it, the structure and function of our tissues and organs simply wouldn’t exist — and neither would we.
But protein itself wouldn’t exist without amino acids. These molecules are critical for making proteins, and our bodies need 20 different kinds of amino acids in order to function properly.
Of these 20, nine amino acids are essential, meaning that our bodies are not capable of manufacturing them. Each of those amino acids is vital in its own way, but today, we’ll spotlight the amino acid known as lysine.
