Translation from RNA creates three-dimensional proteins from combinations of 22 essential amino acids – essential only because our bodies are not able to make them, so they must be obtained from our diet instead. The proteins that are produced, their quantities, and their characteristics collectively form the proteome, and their activities, in combination or in response to signals from within the body or external to it, form our metabolism.
由于DNA与生命大厦的“工人”——蛋白质性质不同，蛋白质并非直接由DNA产生而来。基因编写着蛋白质的密码。核糖核酸在转录（读取基因）过程中充当了“翻译者”的角色。来自RNA的“翻译”从22种必需氨基酸中制造出了三维蛋白质——之所以必需是因为我们的身体无法制造它们，而必须从我们的饮食中摄取。由此产生的蛋白质的数量和特征共同形成了蛋白组，而它们对身体内部或外部信号发生反应而形成的活动，就是我们的新陈代谢。