Glycoproteins and lectins help in performing various physiological activities that support the immunity system in the body as well. Glycoproteins and lectins are interesting subjects to study because of the various observations and information that can be gained from this source. Glycoproteins are also present in different kinds of viruses. Glycoproteins also help in fortifying the immunity system as therapeutic targets. Lectins are a kind of glycoprotein. Lectins bind with carbohydrates. They are also called antinutrients. Glycoproteins and lectins are the main topics of discussion. The article focuses on lectins, lectin meaning, and answers the question of what are glycoproteins. 

Glycoproteins and Lectins

Glycoproteins and lectins help in performing various physiological activities that support the immunity system in the body as well. They are also called antinutrients. Glycoproteins are covalently bonded to certain amino-acid chains. The protein is attached to the carbohydrate in a cotranslational manner. Those extracellular proteins which are secreted are termed glycosylated. The process by which glycoproteins are formed is called glycosylation. Lectins are of various kinds. Every living organism on earth has lectins. Some of these lectins are safe but others are not. 5 different kinds of lectins can be classified into distinct groups.  Various kinds of lectins include:

• N-acetylneuraminic
• Mannose
• N-acetylglucosamine
• Galactose
• Fucose

Glycoproteins are divided into three distinct groups. This classification is dependent on the synthesis mechanism as well as structure. They are very important to membrane proteins and are very active in extracellular segments. Glycosylation is associated with the secretory system. 

• Nonenzymatic Glycosylation
• N-Linked
• O-linked

Lectins

Lectins are a kind of glycoprotein. Lectins bind with carbohydrates. They are also called antinutrients. Glycoproteins and lectins are the main topics of discussion. Lectins are of various kinds. Every living organism on earth has lectins. Some of these lectins are safe but others are not. 5 different kinds of lectins can be classified into distinct groups. Lectins are immune to enzymes present in the digestive tracts. Lectins are highly susceptible to heat. Lectins are not very safe for consumption periodically. Lectins cause a process called agglutination that precipitates glycoconjugates. Polysaccharides are also precipitated out of that process. Lectins are crucial for cellular identification at the molecular level. They mediate various kinds of attachments in the overall immunization system by binding viruses, bacteria as well as fungi with the targets that they intended to capture. They are not good for consumption because:

• The digestive system can get affected
• Can cause malnutrition
• Some Lectin sources are poisonous such as the ricin
• The auto-immune response can get triggered

Lectins are found everywhere due to their diversity. The kind of lectins that are found in beans are very potent and are present in large quantities. To reduce this lectin content, beans need to be fermented or cooked thoroughly. Lectins are very useful for determining blood type due to their selectivity. 

Lectin Meaning

Lectin’s meaning is quite simple. Lectins are a kind of glycoprotein. Lectins bind with carbohydrates. They are also called antinutrients. Lectin meaning involves understanding Glycoproteins and lectins are the main topics of discussion. The difference in lectins classification depends on the type of carbohydrates present for binding. 

What are Glycoproteins?

Glycoproteins are molecules of carbohydrates and proteins. Glycoproteins are arranged in chains. Glycoproteins are very important for performing various physiological functions. Glycoproteins are also present in different kinds of viruses. They are very important to membrane proteins and are very active in extracellular segments. Glycosylation is associated with the secretory system. The specialty of glycoproteins and lectins is that they specifically form weak glycan binds. 

Conclusion

Glycoproteins also help in fortifying the immunity system as therapeutic targets. Lectins are a kind of glycoprotein. Glycoproteins and lectins form important aspects of discussions in food science and microbiological science as well. It has special importance in biochemistry. These two are used in carbohydrate-based analysis and recognition research.