Answers.Body: <p>A ligand is any molecule that can bind to a receptor. A receptor is always a protein. A ligand can be a protein, but also something else, be it a combination of protein with carbohydrates and-or fats, or just molecules such as cyclic AMP, any chemical compound, structures expressed on the cell surface, pretty much any structure you can think of.</p>
  
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Answers.Text: Not only receptor, it may be any protein (as haemoglobine). The term in molecular biology has not a strict definition unlike inorganic chemistry. But it is rare when we look at proteins as ligands (usually little oligopeptides). Commonly it is named as hetero-oligomeric complexes.
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Body: <p>Is ligand a type of protein or vice versa?</p>
  
Tags: <proteins>
Title: What is the basic difference between a protein and a ligand?
ThreadText: # What is the basic difference between a protein and a ligand?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2022-06-12)
  
  Is ligand a type of protein or vice versa?
  
  **Tags:** proteins
  
  
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  ## 1 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_1 on 2022-06-13. Score: 1 | Accepted answer
  
  A ligand is any molecule that can bind to a receptor. A receptor is always a protein. A ligand can be a protein, but also something else, be it a combination of protein with carbohydrates and-or fats, or just molecules such as cyclic AMP, any chemical compound, structures expressed on the cell surface, pretty much any structure you can think of.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_2**: Not only receptor, it may be any protein (as haemoglobine). The term in molecular biology has not a strict definition unlike inorganic chemistry. But it is rare when we look at proteins as ligands (usually little oligopeptides). Commonly it is named as hetero-oligomeric complexes.  
  
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