Albumins
Albumins
Albumins (/ælˈbjuːmɪnz/) are a family of globular proteins, the most common of which are the serum albumins. They are soluble in water, and are coagulated by heat.
Etymology
The term "albumin" (Latin: albus, white) is derived from the Latin word for white, referring to the color of the substance in egg whites.
Function
Albumins are commonly found in blood plasma and function as transport proteins for steroids, fatty acids, and thyroid hormones. They also help to regulate the colloidal osmotic pressures of blood.
Types
There are three main types of albumins: serum albumins, alpha-fetoproteins, and afamin.
- Serum albumins are the most abundant blood plasma proteins in mammals. They are produced in the liver and constitute about half of the blood serum protein.
- Alpha-fetoproteins are a major plasma protein produced by the yolk sac and the liver during fetal development. It is thought to be the fetal equivalent of serum albumin.
- Afamin is a member of the albumin gene family, which is genetically distinct from the other albumin genes.
Related Terms
- Globular Proteins - Proteins that are compact, generally rounded, and soluble in water.
- Blood Plasma - The yellowish liquid component of blood that holds the blood cells in whole blood in suspension.
- Steroids - A large class of organic compounds with a characteristic molecular structure containing four rings of carbon atoms.
- Fatty Acids - Carboxylic acids with long aliphatic chains, which are either saturated or unsaturated.
- Thyroid Hormones - Hormones produced by the thyroid gland primarily responsible for regulation of metabolism.
- Colloidal Osmotic Pressure - The portion of the total osmotic pressure that is due to proteins, principally albumin, in the blood plasma.
- Yolk Sac - The part of a mammal's placenta that provides nutrients to the embryo and produces blood cells in early embryonic life.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Albumins
- Wikipedia's article - Albumins
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