How peptides are different from proteins?

2 min


Nature has its ways of working out everything, and It has created essential components to cater to the needs of all living beings. One such component of nature is the protein that it is necessary for the growth and development of living beings. Protein occurs naturally in the form of both animal and plant protein. Just like protein, peptides are also built up of amino acid chains, but these chains are smaller.

Peptides are a synthesised form of protein that is widely available in the market for research purposes, check here.

If you have been confused about the differences between protein and peptide, then read ahead.

Peptides Vs. Proteins: The Difference

When we dwell upon the differences between the two substances, we consider many parameters. All the important parameters are essentials for classifying the differences between the two substances. When we talk about the differences between peptides and proteins, the parameters are very restrictive as they both are almost the same substances.

The basic ingredient in both the substances is amino acids closely held in conjunction with peptide bonds. The most fundamental difference between peptides and proteins is that proteins are built up of larger strings of amino acids.

The combination of one or more polypeptides makes up protein so that we can call protein a larger form of polypeptides. Both proteins and peptides play a similar role in building blocks of the body.

Proteins are responsible for providing the shape to our cells and also act as a response centre to the incoming signals from our extracellular environment. On the other hand, peptides play a key role in the regulation of molecular activities.

While the structure of peptides is not defined well, the structure of a protein is highly complex, even having the multidimensional form of structures.

The content of amino acids in a protein is much higher than peptides enabling them to perform much more complicated functions. The functions performed by peptides and proteins are a manifestation of the combination of amino acids that they contain. Peptides contain amino acids in the range of 2 to 50; on the other hand, proteins contain more than 50 amino acids.

In medical research, peptides are considered as more accurate in treating areas with medical issues and do not manifest any side effects. On the other hand, proteins are highly useful in the treatment of symptoms related to autoimmune diseases, different types of cancers and arthritis.

Peptides have an important role to play in the regulation of molecules. On the other hand, proteins can act in a diverse range of capacities such as hormones and enzymes along with molecules.

These were some of the essential differences between peptides and proteins. While being an extension of the same components, they serve different functions and are equally essential for medical research purposes. Both peptide and protein have demonstrated tremendous qualities when it comes to contribution to medical sciences. Research facilities obtain a large amount of protein and peptides on a regular interval for conducting different kinds of research.

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