ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Anfinsen's dogma

Anfinsen's Dogma is a very important rule that tells us how proteins work. Proteins are made up of a bunch of tiny pieces called amino acids. These amino acids are like building blocks that are put together in a certain way to make a protein.

Anfinsen's Dogma says that the way a protein is folded, or twisted, is very important. The folded shape of a protein determines how it works. Think about folding a piece of paper into different shapes, like a paper airplane or a paper boat. Each shape has a different purpose. The same goes for proteins - the way they're folded determines what they do in our bodies.

The way a protein is folded is controlled by the sequence of amino acids that make it up. Just like how the way you build a Lego tower affects what it looks like, the order of amino acids affects how the protein is folded.

Anfinsen's Dogma also says that proteins will always fold themselves in the most favorable, or easiest, way possible. It's like if you were playing a game of Tetris and you always tried to fit the pieces together in the easiest way possible. Proteins do the same thing, but they do it automatically without even knowing it.

This rule is really important because if we can understand how proteins fold, we can understand what they do and how to make them work better. It's like figuring out how to build a really cool Lego tower by knowing which pieces to use and how to put them together. Scientists use Anfinsen's Dogma to help them study proteins and figure out how to make new medicines or treatments for diseases.