Protein tandem repeats
Okay, so you know how when you build with blocks, you might repeat the same block over and over again to make a tall tower or a big house? Well, proteins in our bodies can also repeat the same part over and over again to make a big protein – this is called a "tandem repeat".
Imagine a bead necklace – each bead is like a repeated chunk of the protein. Just like how you can make a different necklace by changing the order or type of beads, the same is true for proteins – changing the number or type of repeats can change what the protein is and what it does.
Sometimes, a protein will have a lot of the same repeated chunk in a row, and this can have different effects – like making the protein stronger or more flexible. Scientists study these repeats to understand more about how proteins work and how they can be used to help people stay healthy.
Imagine a bead necklace – each bead is like a repeated chunk of the protein. Just like how you can make a different necklace by changing the order or type of beads, the same is true for proteins – changing the number or type of repeats can change what the protein is and what it does.
Sometimes, a protein will have a lot of the same repeated chunk in a row, and this can have different effects – like making the protein stronger or more flexible. Scientists study these repeats to understand more about how proteins work and how they can be used to help people stay healthy.