Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy. Â© 2018 reddit inc. All rights reserved. REDDIT and the ALIEN Logo are registered trademarks of reddit inc.
Protein is an essential nutrient found in animal products, nuts, and beans. The name protein name comes from the Greek word protos, which means âfirst.â Your body uses proteins in your diet to build new cells, maintain tissues, and synthesize new proteins that make it possible for you to perform basic bodily functions.
Proteins are also necessary in animals' diets, since animals cannot synthesize all the amino acids they need and must obtain essential amino acids from food. Through the process of digestion, animals break down ingested protein into free amino acids that are then used in metabolism.