MOTOR PROTEIN Meaning and
Definition
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Motor proteins are a diverse class of biomolecules that play a crucial role in cellular physiology by generating mechanical forces and enabling movement within cells. These dynamic proteins are responsible for the transport of cargo, the contraction of muscles, and the proper formation of cellular structures.
Motor proteins operate by converting chemical energy derived from the hydrolysis of ATP (adenosine triphosphate) into mechanical work. They achieve this by using ATPase activity to hydrolyze ATP and release energy, which is then harnessed to generate conformational changes in their structure. These conformational changes enable motor proteins to interact with other cellular components, such as cytoskeletal elements, membranes, or other proteins involved in cargo transport.
One well-known class of motor proteins is the kinesins, which facilitate the transport of cargo along microtubules within the cell. Kinesins are involved in crucial processes like vesicle and protein transport, mitosis, and cell division. Dyneins are another class of motor proteins that are mainly responsible for retrograde transport, meaning transport toward the nucleus, along microtubules in the opposite direction to kinesins.
Overall, motor proteins are vital actors in the spatial organization and functioning of cells. By enabling the movement of cellular components, they contribute to processes such as cell division, intracellular transport, and the maintenance of cellular structures. The study of motor proteins provides insights into the fundamental mechanisms that underlie cellular function and has implications in various disciplines, including cell biology, biophysics, and medicine.
Common Misspellings for MOTOR PROTEIN
- notor protein
- kotor protein
- jotor protein
- mitor protein
- mktor protein
- mltor protein
- mptor protein
- m0tor protein
- m9tor protein
- moror protein
- mofor protein
- mogor protein
- moyor protein
- mo6or protein
- mo5or protein
- motir protein
- motkr protein
- motlr protein
- motpr protein
- mot0r protein
Etymology of MOTOR PROTEIN
The word "motor protein" is a compound word consisting of "motor" and "protein".
The term "motor" is derived from the Latin word "motor", which means "mover". It came into English from the French word "moteur" in the late 16th century. The Latin word "motor" is derived from the verb "movere", meaning "to move".
The word "protein" originated from the French word "protéine", which was coined in the mid-19th century by the Dutch chemist Gerhardus Johannes Mulder. Mulder named it from the Greek word "protos", meaning "first" or "primary", as proteins were considered the primary constituents of living organisms.
Therefore, the etymology of "motor protein" refers to a type of protein that is capable of movement or acting as a molecular motor within a biological system.
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