The Fundamentals:

If DNA is the blueprint of life, then proteins are the materials used to make life.
Like DNA, proteins are comprised of a continuous string of building blocks, but in this case, the building blocks are amino acids instead of base-pairs.
These 'Legos of Life' consist of 20 different amino acids that can be strung together in any order to create a protein.
These amino acids can be cross-linked in a variety of ways, creating a vast array of different proteins with different functions.
Some proteins are enzymes that catalyze chemical reactions, others are structural proteins that provide support, and others are transport proteins that carry molecules from one place to another.
Really everything biological that exist is made up of proteins or has interacted with them at somestage.

Isn't that incredible?

Here's some more nuggets of Knowledge for you: